Brentford Move Quickly for Salzburg Prospect

Brentford appear close to another calculated move in the transfer market, with Florian Plettenberg reporting that the club have reached a verbal agreement with Red Bull Salzburg for defender Jannik Schuster in a deal worth around €20 million.

At 19, Schuster already carries the profile of a modern centre back. Comfortable in possession, physically composed and trusted regularly by Salzburg, he has made 30 appearances this season while also featuring for Austria’s Under 21 side.

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Salzburg Pathway Attracts Attention

There is growing recognition around Europe that Salzburg remain one of football’s strongest development clubs. Schuster’s rise has followed a familiar route, exposure to senior football at a young age, European competition experience and tactical education in an aggressive system.

Brentford’s recruitment department has repeatedly targeted players before their market value explodes. This deal feels consistent with that strategy. Rather than chasing established names, the club continue investing in profiles capable of developing into Premier League level performers.

Plettenberg reports that “a formal agreement and official announcement are expected once the final details of the deal are completed.”

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There will naturally be caution around spending €20 million on a teenager with no Premier League experience, but Brentford supporters have seen enough smart recruitment decisions to trust the process.

Schuster’s age is important. Brentford are not signing someone expected to dominate immediately. Instead, this looks like a long term investment with significant upside. Fans will also appreciate that the club are continuing to recruit from high level development environments rather than overpaying for domestic options.

There is another factor here too. Brentford’s defensive structure has needed refreshing at times, particularly against stronger attacking sides. A younger defender with mobility and confidence on the ball could fit seamlessly into the aggressive style supporters expect.

Much will depend on adaptation speed, but the profile makes sense. Brentford rarely move without extensive analysis, and supporters will view that as reassuring heading into another demanding Premier League campaign.

West Ham United star Crysencio Summerville is reportedly attracting interest from top Premier League clubs ahead of the upcoming transfer window. 

The Hammers could lose some of their big players this summer, as they are battling to survive in the English top-flight. 

West Ham are back in the relegation zone after a shocking 3-0 loss at Brentford last weekend. 

Summerville is expected to leave the London Stadium, despite his current contract not expiring until 2029. 

According to The Telegraph, a range of Champions League clubs in England and across Europe have shown interest in the talented forward. 

West Ham would expect to make a profit on the £25 million plus add-ons they paid for the Dutchman in 2024. 

The player’s valuation will depend on whether the Irons manage to stay in the Premier League. 

Summerville has been a key member of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side this season. He has started 26 Premier League games, bagging five goals and three assists in the process. 

Summerville is still young and is highly rated for his dribbling skills, pace and work-rate. 

He is a versatile attacker who can play across the frontline. 

Several top Premier League clubs are looking to add a quality winger this summer. 

Arsenal aim to reinforce their attack, as Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard both had underwhelming 2025-26 campaigns. 

Liverpool are expected to be in the market for a forward, with Mohamed Salah leaving the club at the end of the season.  

Manchester United could also look to add a winger, although reinforcing midfield is said to be their main priority. 

Stats from Transfermarkt 

Confidence Growing Around Ekitike Recovery

Liverpool remain convinced that Hugo Ekitike can rediscover his highest level despite the serious Achilles injury that cut short his campaign at Anfield.

The France international suffered the setback during the defeat against his former club Paris Saint-Germain, an incident that immediately cast doubt over both his short-term future and his hopes of appearing at the World Cup. Surgery has since been completed successfully, with the striker now beginning the long rehabilitation process that accompanies one of football’s most feared injuries.

Yet inside the club there is no sense of panic. According to Dominic King, Liverpool’s hierarchy believe the 23-year-old will recover fully and return to the standards he produced before the injury. Writing about Liverpool’s summer transfer plans, King explained: “Liverpool will not look to find a replacement for Hugo Ekitike.

“They are confident after successful surgery the France striker will return to the levels he showed before rupturing his Achilles tendon and it would not be their style to spend big after such huge recent expenditure in one area.”

Those words reveal much about Liverpool’s thinking heading into a critical summer. While supporters naturally worry over the timing and severity of the injury latest surrounding Ekitike, the club’s medical department and recruitment staff appear aligned in their belief that patience will be rewarded.

FOOTBALL : Paris Saint Germain vs Liverpool FC – Ligue des Champions – Quart de Finale – Match Aller – 08/04/2026 Hugo Ekitike FC Liverpool Willian Pacho Paris SG ParisFrance PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxBEL Copyright: xBaptistexAutissierx

Transfer Strategy Hinges on Fitness Outlook

Liverpool’s stance on Ekitike could shape the entire attacking structure for next season.

Arne Slot already faces uncertainty in the centre-forward department, especially with Alexander Isak also enduring physical setbacks across the campaign. Relying heavily on one senior striker would ordinarily force movement in the transfer market, particularly for a club competing on multiple fronts domestically and in Europe.

Instead, Liverpool appear reluctant to abandon the long-term investment made in Ekitike. That approach reflects a club increasingly careful with financial allocation after major spending in recent windows.

There is also recognition that elite-level recovery from Achilles injuries has improved considerably in modern sport. Rehabilitation programmes are more advanced, conditioning methods sharper and recovery timelines more manageable than they were a decade ago.

Still, caution remains essential. Achilles ruptures are not injuries players simply shake off. Explosiveness, acceleration and confidence in movement can take months to fully return. For a forward such as Ekitike, whose game relies heavily on sharp transitions and quick directional changes, regaining rhythm will be just as important as physical healing.

Challenges Facing Liverpool Attack

Supporters will understandably question whether optimism alone is enough.

Liverpool endured periods this season where attacking depth looked stretched, and Ekitike’s absence leaves a significant void. Even if recovery progresses smoothly, expectations around his return must remain realistic. Midway through next season may represent the earliest point at which he approaches full competitive sharpness.

That creates a delicate balancing act for Slot and Liverpool’s recruitment team. Signing another striker could provide insurance, but equally it risks disrupting plans centred around Ekitike’s long-term role within the squad.

The club’s faith in the Frenchman reflects how highly he is regarded internally. Before the injury latest emerged, Ekitike had shown flashes of becoming a decisive figure in Liverpool’s evolving attack. His movement between defenders, technical composure and ability to stretch defensive lines offered dimensions that Liverpool badly needed at key moments.

At 23, time is also on his side. Younger players generally recover more effectively from major injuries, particularly when rehabilitation is managed carefully and workloads are controlled correctly upon return.

Patience Could Reward Liverpool Long Term

There is little emotional comfort in long recoveries, particularly when supporters know how influential Ekitike could become. Yet Liverpool’s calm response suggests they view this setback as temporary rather than transformative.

Football history contains countless examples of careers altered by Achilles injuries, but equally there are players who returned stronger, smarter and more complete after adversity. Liverpool believe Ekitike belongs in the latter category.

For now, the focus remains entirely on rehabilitation. Every stage of recovery will be monitored closely, with Liverpool aware there can be no shortcuts. The immediate concern is not transfer headlines or external pressure but ensuring Ekitike has every possible chance to return at elite level.

If Liverpool’s confidence proves justified, the current injury latest may eventually become little more than an unwelcome interruption in what still promises to be a highly successful Anfield career.

Kris Boyd is urging Rangers to put their title frustrations aside and focus on finishing second in the league in order to secure a Champions League qualifying place.

A runners-up finish in this season's Scottish Premiership secures a place in the second qualifying round of the Uefa tournament and would give Rangers another crack at reaching Europe's premier club competetion.

Before the split Danny Rohl's side were just a point behind Hearts, but back-to-back defeats at home to Motherwell and away to the league leaders leave the Glasgow club seven points adrift with nine to play for.

While Rangers would need a lot to fall in their favour to have any hope of salvaging the title, they could catch Glasgow rivals Celtic in second place.

"I think there'll be more questions asked if Rangers don't get that second place," Boyd told Sky Sports.

"When you look at FFP (Financial Fair Play) and Rangers were on the threshold of that last season, you're then trying to rebuild another team.

"There's already players announced that they're going to be leaving. They've spent a lot of money already, but to allow Rangers to spend the money they'll need to spend to get back up there challenging next year, you're going to need every advantage you can get, and that will be that Champions League qualifier.

"So Rangers need to approach Celtic Park on Sunday as a game they must win. It's bad enough finishing second up here, but to finish third would be a huge, huge blow for Rangers."

Life of late has been a whirlwind of emotions for Duckens Nazon.

From the highest of highs - helping Haiti qualify for their first World Cup since 1974 - to fearing for his life while trying to escape the ongoing conflict in Iran, where he plays his club football for Esteghlal, it has been a turbulent time.

The 32-year-old, who spent six months of a colourful 13-year career spanning 13 clubs and eight countries in Paisley with St Mirren in 2019, now has his sights set on stunning the nation he briefly called home.

As Haiti's record scorer with 44 goals in 76 caps, starting in his country's first World Cup match in 52 years against the Scots will cap off a wild spell for the striker, who claims his life was saved by an eSIM during his recent evacuation from Iran.

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'I watched bombs drop from 100 metres away'

Nazon was set to depart Iran on the day the Israeli-US strikes began, but he was ordered off the flight for safety reasons.

Meanwhile, his wife from Morocco - a nation Haiti will also face in their World Cup group alongside Scotland and Brazil - and their four children were safe in France, where the former Coventry City striker was born.

Nazon is thankful his family were not part of his "crazy" evacuation trip, during which he watched bombs drop from just 100 metres away before finally escaping via Azerbaijan.

Speaking on the BBC's Sacked in the Morning podcast, he said: "I was about to take a plane to go to Istanbul or Paris, then the steward told everybody to get off because the war had started.

"Imagine you have your wife and your children by your side in that situation. If you're alone, I wouldn't say I don't care about my life, but you are more relaxed and taking decisions is easier and faster."

On the complications he experienced at the Iran-Azerbaijan border, he added: "I was stuck at the border for maybe 48 hours. They refused me, sent me back to Iran and I slept at the border.

"But I was so lucky because before the war started I bought an eSIM. After that, they cut the internet in Iran.

"So I had no contact and I was praying that when I reached the border I would get some signal - and it worked. This saved my life.

"I could talk to the French embassy and they helped me to get my passport. They spoke to the Azerbaijani forces and then I got out."

St Mirren, Scottish weather & ticket prices

With domestic football in Iran suspended because of the ongoing conflict, Nazon is following an individual training programme to prepare for the World Cup.

The current Haiti squad have become heroes for leading the nation back to football's grandest stage, where they will make just their second appearance at the finals.

Nazon acknowledges that the players are now "part of the country's history" but insists they will play without "extra pressure", starting with their opener against Scotland.

"We are ambassadors of our country and we know we have a responsibility," he says. "We know the young people also see us as examples.

"But we don't have to put extra pressure on ourselves and, when we play for our country, it's more a mission and we do it with passion and with love."

On loan at St Mirren from Belgian club Sint-Truiden for the second half of the 2018-19 season, Nazon "had a story" in Scotland. It was short-lived, though.

The forward played 12 games, scoring twice, but said he was "not ready for this kind of aggression and fight" in Scottish football, while the weather also played a part.

"I remember one game we had sun, snow and rain," he recalls. "After this, I was like, OK, I'm done."

Weather is unlikely to be an issue for Nazon this summer in North America. The striker, a friend of Scotland defender Dominic Hyam - with whom he played at Coventry - did, however, voice concerns about inflated ticket prices for the upcoming World Cup matches.

"There is only one thing that starts to go in my brain - it's the ticket prices," he says. "Hopefully this is not going to affect the crowd and people coming to the stadium, because we want this atmosphere.

"We want this energy around us. I'm looking forward to seeing Scottish people and Haitian people in the stadiums. This is going to be important."

Enzo Maresca ultimately left Chelsea for three reasons with one of them a dispute over transfers according to BBC Sport.

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The Italian left Chelsea in January after 18 months in charge, and just six months after winning the Club World Cup.

Maresca also won the Conference League and got Chelsea back into the Champions League in his first season in charge.

Enzo Maresca left Chelsea for three reasons

Chelsea weren’t planing for a mid-season departure, and the decision to appoint Liam Rosenior backfired massively.

The Englishman made a good start, but the wheels fell off very quickly and he was sacked last month following a run of five league defeats in a row without scoring.

Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez had spoken out against the departure of Maresca, and it’s clear he was very popular with the players.

His departure certainly impacted the season in a negative way, and BBC Sport have revealed the three reasons Maresca ultimately left.

The report states a dispute over transfers, his salary and what he perceived as interference from the medical department over use of players were the main reasons.

Maresca is currently out of work but is widely expected to take over from Pep Guardiola as the next Manchester City manager when he eventually leaves the club.

If you enjoy Chelsea News coverage and want to see more of it, add us as a preferred source on Google to make us a favourite and see more of our content.

In other news…

It’s been reported nothing is going on between Chelsea and Xavi Hernandez, despite suggestions the Blues had reached out to the Spaniard.

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Chelsea are still in the process of deciding who their new head coach will be after sacking Liam Rosenior last month.

Andoni Iraola, Marco Silva and Xabi Alonso are three names said to feature highly in their thinking at this point in time.

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

Jan Ziolkowski can leave Roma by June 30th. The Polish defender hasn’t found much playing time during his first season in the capital.

Gian Piero Gasperini has given him a few chances, but the 2005-born defender’s on-field performances haven’t entirely convinced the manager.

The former Legia Warsaw player has played 21 games, including a header against Panathinaikos that allowed Roma to avoid the Europa League playoffs and advance directly to the round of 16.

Roma wants to avoid selling too many big names to comply with the settlement agreement with UEFA, while also earning the appropriate capital gains by June 30.

As reported by SiamoLaRoma.it, the rumor from recent weeks has been confirmed: the Giallorossi want to sell Jan Ziolkowski before the beginning of July.

The Roman club is seeking a buyer for the Pole. Roma values ​​him at around €25 million: the goal is to sell him to avoid sacrificing at least one big name.

It remains to be seen whether the interest from several foreign clubs (one English and one French) can translate into an offer that meets the Giallorossi’s demands.

Milan legend Marcel Desailly feels Bayern Munich will win the Champions League this season and believes Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will be dark horses at the World Cup in the summer.

With the upcoming final stages of the UEFA Champions League and exciting run-ins for the domestic leagues across Europe, the football season has entered its most thrilling phase. Predicting which teams will come out on top is a challenge for fans as well as expert former players, like Marcel Desailly. The current odds present a number of intriguing opportunities, but exploring all the relevant betting bonus options on sites like NJ sportsbook promos before cementing those predictions with the bookies is always a sensible move for smart fans.

Inter reached the Champions League Final in 2023 and 2025, but unfortunately, this season, Serie A has no representative in the semi-finals of the three European club competitions: the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.

The crisis in Italy’s top flight mirrors the issues facing the Italian national team, which has failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time.

Milan and France legend Desailly lifted the Champions League twice as a footballer, first at Marseille and then with the Rossoneri and has now predicted this season’s winner in Europe’s elite competition.

“I don’t know who will win, but I wish it were a different team, and I believe when I look at all the squads, it should be Bayern,” he told The Italian Football Podcast.

“Because of the consistency they’ve shown in the Bundesliga for the last two seasons, they have suffered but readjusted their philosophy to adapt to the talented squad they have.

“The consistency they have shown this season shows that to win the Champions League, you need these types of winners.

BERLIN – JULY 9: General view of the World Cup trophy prior to the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 Final match between Italy and France at the Olympic Stadium on July 9, 2006 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

“PSG have been on and off throughout with injuries as well. Real Madrid has been a disaster in La Liga. Luckily, Barcelona made some mistakes, so they couldn’t open a 15-point lead. Barcelona’s defence is weak.”

Barcelona and Real Madrid were knocked out in the quarter-finals, losing to Atletico Madrid and Bayern, respectively.

“So today I will tell you that definitely the next winner of the Champions League will make me happy if it is Bayern Munich,” confirmed Desailly.

The former defender also won the World Cup with France in 1998, crowning an impressive playing career that included six years at Chelsea.

MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 22: Laureus World Academy Member Marcel Desailly during the EURO 2024 Press Conference prior to the Laureus World Sports Awards Madrid 2024 at the Palacio de Cibeles on April 22, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images for Laureus)

France won the World Cup in 2018 and reached the Final four years later, and Desailly feels they are still the team to beat, although there could be a surprise.

“I have to say France will win it, otherwise Deschamps will kill me [laughs]. Didier has been able to start two different teams. The potential of France is huge; the same can be said of Spain,” he said.

“But the surprise could come from Portugal. They have talented players. I would like Cristiano to get a reward like Messi got his reward. Let Cristiano get his reward.

“If France cannot make it, I will say that the surprise could come from Portugal.”

Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain lock horns again in the Champions League’s last four tonight.

The first leg delivered one of the greatest Champions League games in modern memory, as two heavyweights went punch-for-punch at the Parc des Princes. Another epic could be on the cards tonight, as the star-studded squads battle it out for a place in the final.

Ahead of their semi-final showdown, we’ve picked our Bayern Munich and PSG Combined XI.

Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer – Bayern Munich

The German great did not enjoy his best night in the first leg, but he has proven this season that he can still be formidable. An exceptional performance at the Bernabeu helped Bayern beat Real Madrid in the last eight.

Right-back: Achraf Hakimi – Paris Saint-Germain

Even amid a plethora of stars at Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern board member Uli Hoeneß picked Achraf Hakimi as the PSG player he’d most like at the German side.

“Achraf Hakimi. We would take him immediately, because he would fit in well with us”, he told Dazn.

It’s with good reason. The Moroccan is widely considered the best right-back in the game.

Centre-back: Marquinhos – Paris Saint-Germain

Has been through every peak and trough of Paris Saint-Germain’s modern project and continues to lead by example. No player has made more than his 519 appearances for the club, with Marquinhos a 10-time Ligue 1 winner.

Centre-back: Willian Pacho – Paris Saint-Germain

Part of an exciting generation of Ecuadorian talent alongside Piero Hincapie and Moises Caicedo, Pacho has matured into one of Europe’s most dependable defenders in Paris. He ranks in the top 10% of centre-backs for forward passes completed and percentage of defensive duels won.

Left-back: Nuno Mendes – Paris Saint-Germain

The flying full-back is an unmissable presence for PSG with his marauding runs down the left. Mendes last week became the youngest Portuguese player to reach 50 Champions League appearances, beating Cristiano Ronaldo’s record.

Midfield: Joshua Kimmich – Bayern Munich

After last week’s chaotic clash, the midfield may be where this tie was won as both teams look to gain some control. Bayern’s best football flows through Kimmich, who sits in the elite bracket (top 5%) for progressive passes completed and chances created.

Midfield: Vitinha – Paris Saint-Germain

In the opposite corner will be Vitinha, PSG’s very own midfield metronome. His ascent to world-class status was acknowledged with a third-place finish in last year’s Ballon d’Or.

Right-wing: Michael Olise – Bayern Munich

Michael Olise has been unstoppable for much of the current campaign, breaking Bundesliga records in the process. His 33 direct goal involvements in this Bundesliga season (14G 19A) have equalled the record for a winger since the data was first collected in 2004/05.

Left-wing: Luis Diaz – Bayern Munich

Perhaps the most difficult decision on the team sheet. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has lit up the Champions League this season, including two first-leg goals, but Luis Diaz earns the nod.

The Colombian’s endless endeavour and threat have fit Bayern Munich like a glove, with Diaz forming part of the most dangerous frontline in world football.

Forward: Ousmane Dembele – Paris Saint-Germain

The Ballon d’Or holder can not be excluded, even if injuries have impacted his season. Dembele, when fit, has been as decisive as ever. He’s averaged a goal or assist every 72 minutes in Ligue 1 and the Champions League this season.

Forward: Harry Kane – Bayern Munich

The man who may replace Dembele as holder of the Golden Ball? Kane’s case for the Ballon d’Or is a strong one. The England captain has scored 54 goals in 47 games this season, the best return of his career. Winning this competition would make him the red-hot favourite.

Read – Bayern Munich vs PSG – Past meetings and head-to-head record

See more – Bayern Munich vs PSG – Match preview and team news

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Bayern Munich face Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final tie tonight.

Last week’s first fixture in Paris was an instant classic, as PSG edged a nine-goal thriller at the Parc des Princes. The 5-4 win for the French side made it the highest-scoring single semi-final game in Champions League history.

The stage is set perfectly for tonight’s return, as the two teams battle it out for a place in Budapest later this month. Arsenal await the winners, after the Premier League side eliminated Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night.

Bayern and Paris Saint-Germain have faced off in the Champions League on 17 previous occasions, with the balance of the rivalry evenly split. Despite that, there has incredibly never been a draw between the sides in European competition.

Bayern Munich vs PSG – Past meetings

• Paris Saint-Germain 5-4 Bayern Munich – 2025/26 semi-final, 1st leg
• Bayern Munich 1-0 Paris Saint-Germain – 2024/25 league phase
• Bayern Munich 2-0 Paris Saint-Germain – 2022/23 Round of 16, 2nd leg
• Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Bayern Munich – 2022/23 Round of 16, 1st leg
• Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Bayern Munich – 2020/21 quarter-final, 2nd leg
• Bayern Munich 2-3 Paris Saint-Germain – 2020/21 quarter-final, 1st leg
• Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Bayern Munich – 2019/20 final
• Bayern Munich 3-1 Paris Saint-Germain – 2017/18 group stage
• Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 Bayern Munich – 2017/28 group stage
• Bayern Munich 2-0 Paris Saint-Germain – 2000/01 group stage
• Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 Bayern Munich – 2000/01 group stage
• Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 Bayern Munich – 1997/98 group stage
• Bayern Munich 5-1 Paris Saint-Germain – 1997/98 group stage
• Bayern Munich 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain – 1994/95 group stage
• Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Bayern Munich – 1994/95 group stage

Bayern Munich vs PSG – Overall head-to-head record

• Bayern Munich wins – 9
• Draws – 0
• PSG wins – 8

Read – Bayern Munich vs PSG – Match preview and team news

See more – The teams with the most Premier League defeats in 2026 so far

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UFC 328 culminates in a title-fight double-header this weekend, as Khamzat Chimaev and Joshua Van defend their belts in Newark, New Jersey.

In the main event, Chimaev puts the middleweight title on the line for the first time, taking on former champion Sean Strickland after a tense build-up, which some fear could spill over into pre-fight violence.

The unbeaten Chimaev is a comfortable favourite here, having dominated Dricus Du Plessis to win the belt in August, after “DDP” twice outpointed Strickland.

And in the co-main event, Van makes his first defence of the flyweight strap, as he defends it against Tatsuro Taira – five months after winning the belt in unique circumstances, when Alexandre Pantoja suffered an injury early into their fight.

Here’s all you need to know:

What time does it start?

The early prelims will begin at 10pm BST (2pm PT / 4pm CT / 5pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 12am BST on Sunday (4pm PT / 6pm CT / 7pm ET on Saturday). The main card will ensue at 2am BST on Sunday (6pm PT / 8pm CT / 9pm ET on Saturday).

How can I watch it?

In the UK, the main card will air live on TNT Sports and is also accessible via HBO Max, EE TV, Virgin Media, Amazon Prime Video, and Sky Sports; beforehand, the early and regular prelims will stream live on UFC Fight Pass. In the US, Paramount+ will stream the action.

Odds

Chimaev - 1/6

Strickland - 4/1

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Full card

Subject to change; ‘C’ denotes champion

Main card

Khamzat Chimaev (C) vs Sean Strickland (middleweight title)

Joshua Van (C) vs Tatsuro Taira (flyweight title)

Alexander Volkov vs Waldo Cortes-Acosta (heavyweight)

Sean Brady vs Joaquin Buckley (welterweight)

King Green vs Jeremy Stephens (lightweight)

Prelims

Ateba Gautier vs Ozzy Diaz (middleweight)

Joel Alvarez vs Yaroslav Amosov (welterweight)

Grant Dawson vs Mateusz Rebecki (lightweight)

Jim Miller vs Jared Gordon (lightweight)

Early prelims

Roman Kopylov vs Marco Tulio (middleweight)

Pat Sabatini vs William Gomis (featherweight)

Baisangur Susurkaev vs Djorden Santos (middleweight)

Clayton Carpenter vs Jose Ochoa (flyweight)

Over the last few seasons, whenever he's on the pitch, it feels like the play naturally flows through the left flank. Federico Dimarco is something of a magnet: he attracts the ball and draws attention. His teammates already know he'll be there, ready to receive and create chances. Among the many names behind Inter's 21st Scudetto, his stands out as one of the brightest. Inter has always been a part of his identity, and winning in these colours means everything to him, especially after last season's disappointment, which only fuelled him to come back stronger. And that's exactly what he did, focused on one thing alone: winning. He has grown into a true leader on the pitch, one of the pillars of Inter's style of play. He has blended intensity and determination with his lethal left foot, contributing to both phases of the game to influence the play. He's given his all for the badge and for our colours.

When Dimarco scores, as part of his celebration, he points to his mind. It's a gesture that reflects a feeling that has been with him all year: awareness, built through consistent hard work, and demonstrated on the pitch through incredible performances and new milestones. A more mature Federico has been evident on the pitch, a crucial pillar of Inter's system and a Nerazzurri through and through, driving the team forward both in terms of his mindset and technique. His impressive numbers are the result of that effort and reflect the impact of a truly unique and decisive player. He has been unstoppable down the left flank, an ever-present threat to opponents and a constant force of creativity in Inter's attack. If Inter have made the most of set pieces and aerial goals, and if the fans are on their feet every time there's a corner or a cross from deep, it's because they know it's Federico Dimarco's left foot sending in the ball. It's this left foot that has assisted 18 goals; no one in Serie A history has done better. A left foot that has also produced six goals of his own in the league, taking him up to 24 goal contributions in total: once again the best tally in the current season, and the only defender to beat 20 goal involvements since the statistic has been recorded in 2004/05. He's better than a forward, better than midfielders, better than all the rest because that left foot is simply sensational.

Dimarco has had plenty of iconic moments, beautiful goals and assists, but if there's one game that encapsulates his quality this season, it's the match against Pisa at San Siro, in which Inter were two goals down in the first 23 minutes. Dimarco started on the bench, keen to come on and turn the game around. The team was struggling, and Chivu brought him on in the 34th minute to change the momentum. Federico was simply electric, and as soon as he came on, Inter found their momentum, San Siro came alive, and the Nerazzurri went into the break leading 3-2 after scoring three times in six minutes. Following Zielinski's penalty, it was the same type of goal: a cross from Dimarco, followed by a header from Lautaro and Pio to get the Nerazzurri back on track and make the Meazza erupt. This best captures Dimarco's awareness: when he lifts his head and picks out a spot, the ball will end up exactly where he wants it to go.

Dimarco has won his second Scudetto with Inter, a club he grew up loving, the Nerazzurri colours woven into his identity through both joy and hardship. This season, he has topped the assists charts, standing out among Inter's stars and playing a crucial role in winning the Club's 21st league title. Federico has not only made his dream of seeing Inter as Champions of Italy come true, but has also fulfilled ours.

Parma defender Mariano Troilo mocked Inter star Nicolò Barella on Sunday over Italy’s failed World Cup qualification, but the Nerazzurri midfielder hit back: ‘They don’t even know who he is in Argentina.’

There was tension between Parma defender Troilo and Inter midfielder Barella on Sunday during the Nerazzurri’s 2-0 victory at San Siro, which secured them their 21st Scudetto.

As reported by DAZN (via FCInter1908), Troilo stepped on Barella’s foot during a corner kick near the end of the game, prompting Inter captain Lautaro Martinez to defend his teammate by pushing Troilo, an Argentine compatriot, away.

Barella looked in a lot of pain while on the ground, but Troilo told him, “Get up, I didn’t even touch you.”

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 22: Mariano Troilo of Parma Calcio celebrates after scoring their team’s first goal during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Parma Calcio 1913 at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The Italian midfielder and Troilo continued provoking each other, prompting Inter coach Cristian Chivu to replace his star to avoid consequences.

MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 05: Nicolo Barella of FC Internazionale Milano celebrates scoring his team’s fifth goal during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AS Roma at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on April 05, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

When Barella arrived on the bench, he told his teammate Marcus Thuram what exactly had happened with the Parma defender.

“Do you know what he told me?” Barella asked.

“Shut up, Bobo, you’re out of the World Cup!”

The Inter midfielder sarcastically added before sitting on the bench: “They don’t even know who he is in Argentina!”

Get French Football News sat down with former France, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton striker Louis Saha this week for a wide-ranging interview.

Another of your – and Michael Carrick’s – former clubs where things are not going quite as well as at United, is Tottenham. What is going wrong there? Are you fearful that they may go down?

Ah, we have the right to be afraid for them, that’s for sure; they are in a very tough spot. But at the same time, I have confidence in a group of talented players who I think, when they’re pushed into a corner, can be at their most dangerous. In any case, I hope that’s the case for them, that they will show their character, like they did in their last match [a 1-0 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers].

In terms of what’s gone wrong, I think it’s a lack of consistency going back years. Maybe – and that’s what Antonio Conte has said – you sometimes get the impression that they’re too hesitant and looking for a teammate to take the initiative, that maybe there is a mental disconnect at key moments, whether during the match or across the season. Sometimes it comes from the board and the type of signings made, strategically – it’s great to go out and sign super-talented youngsters but maybe you need to bring in players who have already established themselves as world-class – it’s a similar issue that Arsenal were long criticised for –  so you don’t find yourselves suffering from this lack of experience at key moments.

We see it with Chelsea today. Chelsea have made, I don’t know, about 20 signings of talented young players, but there are key moments in a match or in a season where mistakes are made at great cost to the team. So if you’re doing that regularly, to the detriment of the results and players, then it might work commercially, but then you find yourself in a situation like Tottenham’s.  

You mentioned Conte there – it’s strange that, even as the players change, the same problem continues within the club?

Definitely, because I remember maybe hearing Jose Mourinho complain about the same thing, hearing Ange Postecoglou make the same observation. There are things that clearly are not working. I can’t tell you exactly what, I’m not party to the board’s discussions! I’m just a fan who watches football, maybe through the eyes of a player who was on the inside, and it might not be for me to try to put my finger exactly on what the issue is – that would be too easy. I am sure that other players, especially legends like Ledley King or others, have given their suggestions, but they still haven’t yet found the solution. So I don’t know, it’s very complicated. They have the talent, they have the budget, they have the infrastructure, they have the coaches. I struggle to understand it.

Louis Saha was talking exclusively to Get French Football News courtesy of Betinia

This exclusive interview is a repost from Get French Football News and can be found HERE

GFN | Jeremy Smith

Get French Football News sat down with former France, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton striker Louis Saha this week for a wide-ranging interview.

Obviously, you’re very associated with Manchester United; you had a very good career there, won a lot of medals. They’ve completely transformed their season since Michael Carrick arrived. For you, what does he bring to the team and, if you were Jim Ratcliffe, would you keep him for next season?

I think that he has brought a certain simplicity, a cohesion in the group that suits the players. He didn’t arrive saying, “This is my style of play.” No, he came in with the attitude that, in order for the players to feel comfortable and play to their maximum potential, I have to make them understand a system of play that is simple, that plays to their strengths and that allows them to be that second or split-second ahead of their opponent. Period.

Because logically these players have more quality than most Premier League players, they were recruited because they are good, because they have great stats. So to get the players to recognise this and give them the roles that suit them, I think that has been his major strength.

His second major strength is really knowing the place and being able to say this is the way that this institution is run because it has always got results in this way. I think it brought a lot of confidence both to those who didn’t yet understand this and to those who did.

So yes I definitely ask Sir Jim Ratcliffe to think like me and to not only extend Carrick’s contract but to strengthen his position because I think that with the support of a few signings, with the support of a staff who will be able to work on a form of progression with this group, that would be the coherent thing to do, working with the very good spine of the current team, with a clear plan for the future, with two or three signings of key players in midfield who will have more running in them, more creativity, maybe more defensive potential, to be able to change system from time to time. I think they have that but some defenders are still a little young, some midfielders are a little old, some strikers a little young too. Those little things need improving and then I think things can progress very quickly.

Louis Saha was talking exclusively to Get French Football News, courtesy of BetVictor Online Casino

This exclusive interview is a repost from Get French Football News and can be found HERE

GFN | Jeremy Smith

Every great team throughout history has had a few key partnerships that fans instantly recall and fawn over.

For many Celtic fans, the level to which manager Martin O'Neill and Henrik Larsson were on the same wavelength is just as crucial as the striker's link-up play with Chris Sutton on the park.

It wasn't always sunshine and rainbows, though, with the sole time Larsson was on the end of O'Neill's half-time rage still a bone he picks with his former gaffer when they meet up well over 20 years later.

"Do I remember? Absolutely, because it only happened once," O'Neill recalls when asked about giving the striker a telling off in the changing room.

"It was against Dundee United and Henrik was playing in the first half... unlike him, he was flicking the ball all over the place.

"I think he flicked two over the stand and they ended up down at Dens Park, he was awful in the first half.

"So I had a go, and I think the players actually were in one aspect, secretly delighted that Henrik is getting a little bit of stick.

"I remember it distinctly because he was brilliant in the second half, that was his response."

Johan Mjallby, who also features in the Larsson edition of Icons of Football, was sitting next to the striker in the dressing room at the break and remembers it very well, as it was a one-off.

He adds: "And isn't that the best way to just shut your manager's mouth off up? That's Henrik."

In 2018 O'Neill, Sutton, and Larsson were all working during the World Cup in various punditry capacities, and when they met up, there was one item on the agenda for the Swede.

"The three of us went for something to eat, and that was the topic of conversation for about half an hour," O'Neill says.

"Henrik still hadn't forgiven me for embarrassing him in front of the rest of the team, but it stood him in good stead, and he's fine."

WATCH: Icons of Football: Henrik Larsson on BBC Scotland on Thursday, 7 May at 22:00 BST

Another impressive season, another trophy lifted to the air with the captain's armband: Lautaro Martínez continues to write unforgettable pages in the Inter history books, a Story that has earned the right to be amongst the most impressive of those who have worn the Inter shirt.

El Toro has been the beacon of this Nerazzurri side, a role model and leader of a dressing room that could always look to its Captain in moments of difficulty. A kind word for everyone, a piece of advice for a younger teammate, but also the ability to keep the whole group's intensity at its peak. Direct, even cutting when the situation called for it, but always and only with a single objective in mind, the one he has consistently underlined in every interview and public statement:

Ever upward, always higher, with ambition and self-belief. The very same qualities that drive Lautaro every day and that the Captain brings to the pitch in every touch of the ball. Since his arrival in 2018, El Toro has always stood out for his hunger, determination and garra: every match played giving absolutely everything he has, every duel approached as though it were his last.

It was no different in the 2025/26 season: a year of fresh starts, a year of change that was also meant to represent a rebirth. A resolve that was evident from the very first match, with Lautaro scoring a goal by pressing Torino's defensive build-up. It was a symbolic strike, one that demonstrated his relentless will to fight, celebrated with raw, furious emotion standing on the advertising hoardings: an image that has by now become inseparable from Lautaro's Inter career, whether it be a Champions League semi-final or the opening day of the league season. A roar that is a rallying cry for an entire fanbase: because when Lautaro scores at San Siro, the vibration that shakes the Meazza is unlike any other.

Lautaro steers the Inter ship through every storm, repelling every obstacle: overcoming every difficulty. A journey made up of goals, but above all, of extraordinary performances: an unstoppable path that flies straight towards the 21st Scudetto, while passing through the history and the eras of the Nerazzurri. The first part of El Toro's season allowed us to leaf through the album of Interista memories in a wonderful ascent. On 4 October, Lautaro scored against Cremonese at San Siro and reached 158 goals with Inter: the same tally as Luigi Cevenini, fifth in the all-time top scorers' rankings in Inter's history. Zizì is just the first of the Nerazzurri monuments alongside whom the Captain finds himself, with respect and humility, during the first half of the season: on 9 November, a wonderful finish against Lazio from out wide brings El Toro to 161, level with Sandro Mazzola. Fourth place, a dream in his heart and an objective that begins to feel within reach: the third step of the podium.

In un campionato dove gli attaccanti hanno faticato a segnare Lautaro Martinez è la principale eccezione: dopo un inizio positivo tra novembre e febbraio il Toro diventa decisivo nel trascinare l'Inter in vetta alla classifica. Pisa, Como, Genoa, Atalanta, Bologna: tra la fine del 2025 e l'inizio del 2026 l'Inter cambia marcia anche grazie alle reti del suo Capitano, a segno in cinque partite consecutive con sei gol totali. La squadra di Chivu conquista la vetta per non lasciarla più.

Gol spettacolari, importanti, segnati in ogni modo: di destro, di sinistro, di testa, lottando in area oppure con il classico gol alla Lautaro, tagliando con decisione sul primo palo per staccarsi dalla marcatura del difensore, vero e proprio marchio di fabbrica del centravanti argentino.

Six goals in five consecutive matches, four in four successive games between January and February during the period in which Inter began to open up the decisive gap in the title race. A crucial goal away at Udinese, a header of extraordinary power to spark the comeback against Pisa, the goal that broke the deadlock in Cremona. Right through to the away fixture in Reggio Emilia against Sassuolo: the date with history was 8 February, 2026. Inter were winning 2-0 away at the Neroverdi: the minute was the 50th. From a throw-in into the box, the ball reached Lautaro, who controlled and drove it across goal with his left foot, leaving Muric helpless: in that moment, there was the weight of history and the effortless touch of an artist who knows his craft. 171 goals in Nerazzurri colours, level with Roberto Boninsegna: the Captain had become the third-highest scorer in Inter's history.

This incredible journey suffered a setback due to an unfortunate evening in Norway. Away at Bodø/Glimt, Lautaro picked up an injury and was forced to stop. But the Captain fought as hard as ever, if not harder: he worked tirelessly, tried to shorten his recovery time, did everything in his power to get back on the pitch as soon as possible. In March, he watched Inter's difficulties from afar, champing at the bit and roaring like a caged lion, unable to make his contribution. A Lenten absence lasting 46 days that came to an end on Easter Sunday itself, when Inter faced Roma at San Siro. It took Lautaro just 60 seconds to remind everybody of his worth and that of the entire Inter side: the goal shook San Siro and sent every Inter supporter into raptures. Something had changed: El Toro scored a brace, Inter won 5-2 and once again emphatically reaffirmed their superiority in this title race.

Another knock kept him away from the pitch once more, but not from the team: the Captain took his place on the bench for the away fixtures at Como and Torino. He couldn't bring himself to miss the final stages of the journey, leaving his teammates at the crucial moment. The goals and victories came: only the last step remained. A step that Lautaro took personally during Inter vs Parma, when he came on in the 67th minute. Barella handed him the captain's armband as a mark of respect, and Lautaro fought with the same hunger and desire to score. A goal that the entire stadium dreamt of, to see him up there again: a goal that never came despite some extraordinary moments, including the assist for Mkhitaryan's 2-0 that set off the Inter celebrations in the stands and on the pitch. The decisive pass told us everything about who Lautaro Martínez is: a man who puts the good of the team first, a Captain who plays for Inter and for his supporters, the Nerazzurri faithful who have always stood by him.

Heart and soul of Inter, the symbol of a team that found a way to rise again and now celebrates the 21st Scudetto of its glorious history: a history that now welcomes Lautaro among its most beloved sons, a three-time Italian Champion, twice as Captain.

Get French Football News sat down with former France, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton striker Louis Saha this week for a wide-ranging football chat.

You mentioned Ledley King, you had the chance to play with incredible players like Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, for example. Who is the best player you have played with? And then – I don’t know if King will come up here, but who is the most underrated player you played with?

[Smiles] You mustn’t think that it’s just because he’s my friend that I think of Sylvain [Distin]. I’ve always teased him because I’ve never understood why he was never selected for the full France team. I think he’s a player who didn’t receive the same attention or recognition as other players in his position. Maybe others had the gift of the gab or knew how to promote themselves more. He had stiff competition, like William Gallas, Michaël Silvestre, Jean-Alain Boumsong and others – very good players. But I always felt that Sylvain was at the same level, he played in a huge number of Premier League games – certainly of all French players he must be among those with the most appearances. So yes, he’s definitely right up there and it’s incomprehensible to me that he never received a call-up. But hey, that’s football; sometimes we miss out on things and don’t understand why. But he’s certainly one of the most underrated players of his generation, at least as far as defenders go.

And if we’re talking about Ledley King too, I had the chance to play with him for four or five months and what impressed me the most was that he was very physically diminished but you would never have known that on the pitch because of his mentality, his ability to adapt and always perform. So Ledley King is a legend in that sense.

As for best player, without disrespecting “ZZ” – ZZ had amazing charisma, had that magic – I’m talking about pure talent.

But, after maybe Pelé for those of another generation, the most complete, the most perfect player, if you had to build the perfect footballer, it’s Cristiano Ronaldo. If you’re creating Lionel Messi, you’re going to create him within a certain tactical system. But the ideal player, with the physique, the guy who is 1m88 tall, who goes at 3,000 kilometres an hour, who has endurance, technique, strength, who has a high footballing IQ – maybe not as high as Paul Scholes or even Messi but still very high – who is strong mentally, who is a leader but who also continues to challenge himself,  who will give you confidence because he always has so much self-confidence. Well, I can’t think of any other player like that. It’s impressive. For me, he’s a cyborg!

Speaking of very talented players, France at the moment is blessed with several great strikers. Does Louis Saha, at the top of his form, have a place in the current France squad?

Oh, that’s a great question! I think I have a game that is a little different from the others who are in the team today. We don’t necessarily have the traditional number 9 à la Olivier Giroud. Between Giroud, Djibril Cisse and me, let’s say, we had that number 9 role. I’m not in the mode of a Hugo Ekitike, who is an incredible talent. I could see maybe Jean-Philippe Mateta in the squad. But when you see the likes of Dembouz – Ousmane Dembélé – and Kylian Mbappé as your strikers, with Marcus Thuram in the squad too – yes, I’d hope to be able to bring something too!

Louis Saha was talking exclusively to Get French Football News courtesy of ToonieBet

This exclusive interview is a repost from Get French Football News and can be found HERE

GFN | Jeremy Smith

Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson wants to sign on-loan striker Toyosi Olusanya on a permanent basis, with the 28-year-old out of contract with Houston Dynamo this summer but with the Major League Soccer club having an option to extend it for another year. (Daily Record)

Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson says some of his summer signings "won't be sexy" but will be granite solid in delivering seven or eight out of 10 performances in every game. (Press & Journal)

Inverness Caledonian Thistle are keen to retain striker Alfie Stewart with the 19-year-old on-loan striker's contract with Aberdeen not being renewed. (Press & Journal)

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

This weekend, Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois will clash in the kind of fight that always entices boxing fans: an all-British heavyweight title bout.

Wardley enters the main-event showdown with an unbeaten record, having bailed himself out in his last two fights; against Justis Huni then Joseph Parker, the Ipswich boxer was down on the scorecards when he secured late knockouts.

The October win over Parker saw Wardley, 31, win the interim WBO title, which was later upgraded when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the regular belt. And Wardley may be able to edge closer to a fight with Usyk if he can overcome Dubois, 28.

Last time out, in July, Dubois suffered his second stoppage loss to Usyk, dropping the IBF title to the Ukrainian in the process. But Dubois remains a dangerous opponent for anyone in the division, and it feels like a KO is guaranteed when he faces Wardley.

Here’s all you need to know:

When is the fight?

Wardley vs Dubois will take place on Saturday 9 May at the Co-op Live in Manchester. The main card will begin at 6pm BST (10am PT / 12pm CT / 1pm ET), with main-event ring walks following at around 11pm BST (3pm PT / 5pm CT / 6pm ET).

How can I watch it?

The action will stream live on DAZN pay-per-view at a cost of £24.99. You do not need a DAZN subscription to purchase the event, but plans are available here and start at £15.99 per month.

Latest Odds

Betting sites give a slight edge to the champion, with Wardley odds-on for the win over Dubois, who is around the even-money mark with most bookies.

Wardley - 5/6

Dubois - 21/20

Draw - 18/1

Odds via Betfred. The Independent vets betting sites for usability, security and responsible gambling tools. You can claim free bets here to use across a range of sports. Please read the terms.

Fight card in full

Subject to change; ‘C’ denotes champion

Fabio Wardley (C) vs Daniel Dubois (WBO heavyweight title)

Jack Rafferty vs Ekow Essuman (super-lightweight)

Bradley Rea vs Liam Cameron (light-heavyweight)

David Morrell vs Zak Chelli (light-heavyweight)

Khaleel Majid vs Gavin Gwynne (super-lightweight)

Bakhodir Jalolov vs Agron Smakici (heavyweight)

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

FC Internazionale Milano and the entire Nerazzurri family join in mourning the passing of Evaristo Beccalossi, sending their condolences to his loved ones as they remember him.

It feels impossible to accept. In memory and in everyday life, Evaristo was always on our minds – indescribable, like his dribbles, unique, like his control of the ball.

Talent cannot be taught – it is a gift which, at most, can be nurtured. Such as the stubborn determination of a naturally right-footed player who, from a young age, trained his left foot in the garage at home until he became ambidextrous, equally magical with both feet. Beccalossi’s talent was pure, and though at times contrasted by an inconsistency that would appear match to match, one that teammates and fans always adored.

Beccalossi, a fantasista in the truest sense, whom Gianni Brera famously nicknamed “Driblossi”. His art of dribbling, of beating opponents, was audacious, almost always successful, executed with lightness. He brought beauty to football, its most romantic expression, capable of making fans fall in love. With his curls flowing over his shoulders and his unmistakable stride across the pitch, he "caressed" the ball. No one captured his essence better than Peppino Prisco: “He didn’t play with the ball, the ball played with him; he didn’t kick it, but caressed it, filling it with affection.”

Those "caresses" were countless, on and off the pitch, throughout his years in Nerazzurri colours (1978-1984) and beyond, in his life after football, always close to Inter, always within the game, working with the Federation and inspiring younger generations. A fantasista there, too.

Right foot, left foot, goals and vision. Beccalossi fed Oriali, Marini, Baresi and more, scoring and assisting. He once said: “When I arrived at San Siro, my teammates didn’t know if they would be playing with ten or twelve – it depended entirely on me.”

Wearing the number 10, he joined Inter from his hometown club Brescia in 1978 and was immediately embraced by a Meazza crowd. The tip-off to Sandro Mazzola (his predecessor as No.10 and then a club director) came after a match in which he dribbled past five players before missing in front of goal. The perfect snapshot of his immense talent and his captivating unpredictability.

“With Beccalossi and Pasinato, we will win the league.” Many were not yet born in 1980, but that chant accompanied Inter, coached by Eugenio Bersellini, to their 12th Scudetto. Alongside Bordon, Baresi, Altobelli, Caso, Bini, Marini, Oriali, Canuti, Pasinato, Muraro, Mozzini, Pancheri, Ambu, Cipollini and Occhipinti, Beccalossi was the team’s No.10. Seven league goals, including two in the derby on 8 October 1979: a sublime right-footed volley on a pitch reduced to mud, and another to seal a derby stamped firmly with Nerazzurri colours.

Putting his 37 goals in 215 appearances aside, as well as his Scudetto and Coppa Italia, Beccalossi was the man of dreams. The player capable of producing magic at any moment. And if it didn’t arrive, it hardly mattered: having him on the pitch was enough, knowing that sooner or later a dribble or an impossible ball would come. Even a difficult night, like missing two penalties in five minutes, became part of his legend, later transformed into a theatrical monologue by actor Paolo Rossi.

“The most beautiful thing, in my opinion, was that the Inter fans identified with us. I left a good memory, even today.” Not just a good memory, but a deep sense of pride in having had “Becca” as part of the Club’s history. Now, that pride blends with a profound sadness, as we remember the life of Evaristo Beccalossi.

Where will IPL 2026 final be held? Venue, date and timings explained originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium has been denied all IPL 2026 playoff matches.
• The MLA ticket controversy is reportedly the reason behind BCCI's decision.
• The IPL final will be held in Ahmedabad on May 31. 

IPL 2026 final to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad

The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, home of defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, did not receive a single knockout fixture. 

The final heads to Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium on May 31, while Dharamshala and New Chandigarh share the Qualifier and Eliminator duties.

MORE: IPL 2026 Playoffs: Schedule, dates, venue for Eliminator, Qualifiers

When is the Final of IPL 2026?

The IPL 2025 final will take place on Sunday, May 31. 

Where is the Final of IPL 2026?

The grand final of IPL 2026 will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

What time is the Final of IPL 2026?

The final will start at 7:30 p.m. IST. 

Why was Bengaluru denied the right to host IPL 2026 final?

The trouble traces back to the very first game of the season, when RCB hosted Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Ahead of that match, Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar publicly demanded that each sitting MLA be handed a minimum of five IPL tickets.

He suggested that elected officials should not be expected to go through the same process as ordinary ticket buyers. The statement caused immediate backlash.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar attempted to draw a line under it by announcing that three tickets per home RCB match would be allocated to MLAs and MPs for the remainder of the season. 

IPL 2026 Playoff Schedule

The summit clash will be held on May 31, and the venue has been changed to Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad from M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.

To keep up to date with all the latest cricket news and share your opinion on the biggest topics visit our Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter) pages.

Atlético Madrid fell at the doors of a fourth Champions League final, losing the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final 1-0 in London and 2-1 on aggregate.

Bukayo Saka turned in from close range on the stroke of half time after Jan Oblak had saved brilliantly from a Leandro Trossard shot which proved to be the key moment in this tie.

It wasn’t meant to be for Diego Simeone’s men, who lacked the punch that we’ve seen help them dismantle quality sides many times this season.

He’ll have to implant the appropriate motivation into his players to finish off the last four games of the LALIGA season with some sort of pride. 

For now, here are Into the Calderón’s key takeaways from this painful night at the Emirates Stadium.

El Cholo is not El Mago

So much has been said of Atlético’s strength in depth over the last two years, with the amount of money spent on transfers frequently quoted as a metric to measure success against. 

While it’s true that the squad at Simeone’s disposal is (on paper, transfer value, etc) the best it has been since he arrived 15 calendar years ago, the pedigree of the players who were required to complete the second-half turnaround weren’t quite up to the standard of a European semi-final, perhaps.

Atleti can look at this Arsenal side and relate: they are England’s nearly men. However, they have consolidated themselves as being of the quality to win, despite their repeated and hilarious ability to throw every attempt away.

The minimal contents of their trophy cabinet doesn’t change the fact that their players are really good, including those coming off the bench to see the match out. When it came to injecting the final impulse of energy that the last 30 minutes of a Champions League semi-final needs, the likes of Álex Baena and Thiago Almada, in theory of the level necessary, just don’t have the same pedigree as the two Martins on Mikel Arteta’s bench. 

Ødergaard and Zubimendi helped the little old Arsenal lady finally cross the road after, in reality, being fortunate to do so over the course of the two legs.

Atleti weren’t bad, Simeone didn’t make mistakes and we could talk about the bad luck/injustice until the cows come home. But quite often Diego himself says that matches are in the hands of God. And this time God, whoever and wherever they may be, didn’t allow Atleti to win. They seem to have done that a lot over the years. 

We made it to May

Five consecutive trophyless seasons have now passed since Atleti won LALIGA during the pandemic season of 2020-21.

After two of those, as the squad accumulated some questionable names, my expectations reduced and I did not ask for trophies anymore. Instead, I wished to be still within a shot of winning something by the time May came around.

Nothing is worse than being out of every competition and your league position unthreatened with April’s (or worse, March’s) page in the calendar still on show.

Last year was tough — out of everything by April 2 with a cruel run of fixtures our demise. This year, when it became apparent that we were to play Real Madrid, Barcelona, Barcelona, Sevilla, Barcelona and the Copa del Rey final in consecutive matches, I feared the worst.

The funny (infuriating) thing about the way the Spanish cup final is scheduled is that you can win it and still have nothing left to play for in May. Atleti did not win it. 

The only fruit bore worth eating from that run was a Champions League semi-final whose second leg was the other side of April. So it’s an improvement: we had something to play for in May.

However, the demands of March and April stack all the physical odds against you when that thing to play for pits you up against an Arsenal side more rigid than a Mormon’s moral compass.

Coming into the most important continental match Atleti have had in a decade, they were unable to count on the full fitness of a game winner in Julián Alvarez, or a man who can change the complexion of a game in Alexander Sørloth. Instead, the Colchoneros were reliant on a 34- and imminently-departing 35-year-old who weren’t meant to even be playing much this year.

Arsenal will claim similar physical ailments from a taxing campaign in a high-quality domestic sphere which hampered their preparations. But Simeone will speak of having to do it in all three competitions against Barcelona and Real Madrid, placing Atleti’s struggles in its own unique tier.

I’m not sure what I’d prefer: undergo an arduous monumental physical effort to win three competitions as the underdog giving huge merit to any one of them? Or be domestically unchallenged, giving you the energy of a 6-year-old boy on summer break every time you play in the Champions League?

I guess if I preferred the latter, I’d be a Bayern Munich or PSG fan.

There’s no Champions League in America

There used to be. That was until 2023 when CONCACAF changed their continental competition to be called “The Champions Cup,” which doesn’t have the same feel to it, does it?

Anyway, Antoine Griezmann will arrive stateside as one of the best players to hail from European lands, certainly of the 2010/20s era, and yet he has never won LALIGA, and now we can officially say the same about the Champions League. 

What a shame. Not just for Antoine, but for a whole crop of players who have come so close and would easily occupy spots in the “Best XI to never have won the Champions League.”

Koke and Jan Oblak have most probably just seen their last chance to win la orejona go by, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they follow Griezmann over the Atlantic this summer or next.

While all three played in that final of 2016, they’ve never had a season where, in the two main cup competitions, they have progressed further than Real Madrid and Barcelona. Yes, the Copa del Rey was a failure (not just this year but all the other years a team other than the big two won it).

Not winning the Champions League when taking into account the other three semifinalists would be harshly classed in the same category, but it’s an opportunity missed that could take a while to come back around. And you just know the next time it does, Real Madrid will be standing in the way.

Maybe that’s it: Atlético Madrid are only destined to win the Champions League if they beat Real Madrid on the way to doing so.

Arne Slot’s future has become a growing talking point after Liverpool’s defeat to Manchester United, but both Alan Shearer and Micah Richards believe the Dutchman deserves more time at Anfield.

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The reaction comes after another frustrating afternoon for us at Old Trafford, where Liverpool recovered from 2-0 down before eventually throwing away the game again in a damaging 3-2 defeat.

Richards backs Slot despite Liverpool concerns

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast after Gary Lineker asked whether Slot would still be Liverpool manager next season, Shearer admitted he would stick with the 47-year-old.

The former England captain said: “I think so. I think in terms of what he did last season and winning the league, manager of the season… with the issues and the problems they’ve had at Liverpool this year, then yeah.”

Richards agreed, although the pundit did raise major concerns about Liverpool’s performances and recruitment.

The ex-Manchester City defender explained: “The signings have not worked, have they? Isak’s been injured. Wirtz has not been at the level that we all expect.”

Richards also questioned where Jeremie Frimpong fits tactically, adding that Liverpool are now “too slow”, “too passive” and “too easy to play against”.

Liverpool identity concerns continue to grow

That criticism echoed what several pundits have said in after another chaotic defensive display from us.

Roy Keane claimed Liverpool looked “frightened to death” during the opening stages at Old Trafford, while Daniel Sturridge questioned whether the team currently has any clear identity under Slot.

Richards made a similar point when comparing this side to the intensity associated with Jurgen Klopp’s teams.

The pundit said: “What you normally associate Liverpool with is being aggressive, hard to beat, work rate… and they’re none of those things.”

Even so, Richards still insisted the Dutch coach deserves the opportunity to rebuild the squad and turn things around.

Meanwhile, Gary Lineker admitted: “I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Xabi Alonso there next season.”

Liverpool were poor in the first half against United, although there’s also a fair argument that Slot has suffered dreadful luck this season with injuries and controversial decisions, including Sesko’s handball goal being allowed to stand.

Get French Football News sat down with former France, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton striker Louis Saha this week for a wide-ranging football chat on Ligue 1.

Another of your former teams, who are doing even worse than Tottenham this season, is FC Metz. When you played for them, they were challenging for the title, with players like Robert Pires. How do you explain the fact that they have become a yo-yo club?

Oh yes, it’s been hard going this season! I think a lot comes down to framework. When you have results that look like repeated bad cycles and lots of yo-yoing, then for me it means that there is a problem with the structure. You can change the players, change the managers, but if you end up repeating a pattern, then there is a structural problem.

FC Metz are among the best clubs in terms of developing players – some unbelievable players have come from there. So I don’t think it’s a problem related to players coming through the academy. Maybe it’s a need to keep those players for a little longer. That would be good in terms of the stability of a club – try not to be a springboard club too soon – that might be something that could be managed.  Although it’s a risk and sometimes you have to admit defeat because there are bigger clubs that splash the cash straightaway, as soon as you’ve developed a player. But for the good of the team, you need to try to keep those players at least one or two years longer than they have done the last few years. I think it’s been very detrimental; I find it quite striking.

Then, of course, in the course of this season, there have been key matches that Metz should have won but which they lost, home matches against direct relegation rivals where they didn’t show the necessary solidity. In a league like Ligue 1, you get punished for that – you only need four or five really poor performances like that and it’s the descent into hell. Well, that has happened too often and it’s a cycle that has repeated itself. That’s the club’s problem.

I think that the issue of clubs needing to sell players as soon as they come through youth development is a Ligue 1 problem, because so many clubs have financial issues…  

That’s very true. That’s why we end up with lots of feeder clubs. When you have an academy and you find yourself forced by necessity to play that selling game, then there is less stability. Whereas a club like AS Monaco, which is not a club known for its youth development with the same structures as a club like Metz, don’t have the same issues to contend with.

I’m not a specialist but if I try to put my finger on it, some do it very well, others not so well. It looks like FC Nantes may fall through the trapdoor, too. But there are other clubs that manage to do it very well, like Stade Rennais. Three or four years ago, I saw Rennes being like Bordeaux in terms of big financial difficulty. Ligue 1 clubs are under a lot of financial pressure under the oversight of the DNCG [France’s football financial regulatory body]. It’s extremely tough because it’s not regulated to the same extent in Europe – it’s not at all as regulated in other leagues. So French clubs inevitably get cleaned out and clubs like Metz, who have developed great links in Senegal or in other countries and manage to bring through super-talents, then have to sell them. It’s a really tough game to play and that’s where you need to try to ensure your investment lasts not just three years but maybe four to five years. That’s what I think, with my modest level of knowledge anyway. I think it’s a real shame.

Louis Saha was talking exclusively to Get French Football News courtesy of Wiz Slots

This exclusive interview is a repost from Get French Football News and can be found HERE

GFN | Jeremy Smith

Paris Saint-Germain’s players are well-aware of exactly what they will be walking into against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena — and they would not have it any other way.

“The first leg was crazy. We play football for matches like this. Both teams showed one of the best Champions League performances: the commitment, the intensity, the goals… it was simply exceptional. We expect the same thing tomorrow, the same match, or even more. We’re ready, we’re going to try to reach the final,” said PSG’s Warren Zaïre-Emery. “We’re going to try to impose our style of play, press them like we do in every match, play as much as possible in their half, trying to win back as many balls as possible and create chances. This team is built to attack and have possession.

“It will be the same match, with the same intensity, maybe even more. It will be up to us to dictate the pace, not to overdo it, and to try and calm things down when we have to. At this stage of the season, if you set too fast a pace, things can go very quickly in either direction.”

Zaïre-Emery, who will fill in for injured right-back Achraf Hakimi, will have a tough assignment in this match as he will attempt to defend Bayern Munich left-wing Luis Díaz.

“When you face a player who can do everything, like their front three, it’s always difficult to defend. We played well defensively, but we still conceded four goals. When the attackers are at that level, there’s no room for error. Regarding Luis Díaz, I’ll do my best, and I’ll have the support of my teammates, as always,” Zaïre-Emery stated.

That will be just one of several fascinating matchups for fans to watch. The loss of Hakimi should be felt in a big way…can Díaz take advantage of it?

If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…

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Essentially, hump day is just running scissors out of the T-formation. Huddle up…

THE NEW COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF?

It feels like we are still in the create-a-player mode when it comes to the college football playoff. Every year there’s a tweak, or suggestion, or move — or something. In my own opinion, we should all just settle into what we have for at least a decade before another change happens, but like children, the power brokers in CFB are selfish and cry a lot about what they want.

Anyways… the AFCA made some recommendations for the playoff and for how the regular season operates as well.

So just to be clear… if this happens, for as bad as I think it would actually be for CFB, it is a massive win for Notre Dame from a PR perspective (among other things). What would the “join a conference” crowd do with all of their free time now that conferences are now reduced to being just convenient scheduling agreements?

MARCUS FREEMAN AS SHERRONE MOORE?

Shane Gillis (nation’s #1 ND fan) went on Bussin With The Boys with Taylor Lewan and Will Compton (nation’s #3 ND fan) and talked about how Marcus Freeman was almost on Saturday Night Live until something wild happened up north.

CROOTIN’ NOTE

Notre Dame is the team to beat when it comes to blue-chip defensive lineman Jackson Vaughn. According to people I trust, this defensive line class for the Irish in 2027 from end to end, could be something very VERY special.

MORE REASONS WHY NOTRE DAME IS THE BEST

Football Scoop outlined some very good reasons as to why the Irish should be the #1 team in the country to start the 2026 college football season. That’s awesome, but… I am still a little worried about the #1 ranking voodoo to start the year. Just saying — #3 is fine too (but I love the confidence).

“I don’t even know what to say about Coco anymore. He’s an exemplary, determined captain. He shows it match after match. We’re at a loss for words regarding his performances,” Clinton Mata gushed after Olympique Lyonnais’s 4-2 victory over Stade Rennais. Corentin Tolisso, or Coco as he is affectionately known to his teammates, was at his inspired best on Sunday night as Lyon fought from behind to put one hand on the Ligue 1 podium. 

The Lyon captain was involved in three of the four goals, registering two assists and converting his 42nd-minute penalty as Lyon leapt past Lille OSC to move back into third and with it a shot at automatic qualification into the league phase of the UEFA Champions League, with only two games remaining. However, the night could have been a very different outcome when, with almost the first kick of the game, Tolisso went down clutching his head after a challenge from Rennes defender Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal. 

Both sets of players quickly surrounded him as they shielded him from view while he received treatment. Despite the initial concern and the fact that he looked visibly dazed after the duel, he was given the all-clear to continue and leave his indelible mark on a tight Champions League race. 

Didier Deschamps and the debate in Lyon

When, like last night, you see Tolisso at full pomp, controlling the tempo, orchestrating the press, and unpicking the defence, it becomes very hard to ignore the argument that has been raging in Lyon throughout this season: Coco should be in Didier Deschamps’s France plans for the upcoming summer World Cup. It’s baffled the Lyonnais that the France head coach has been as yet unmoved by the midfielder’s performances or the 14 goals he’s scored across all competitions. 

It’s been five years since he was last selected to represent France. His last of 28 caps came in the group stages of the 2020 UEFA Euros (which were, of course, rescheduled to be played in 2021 due to the disruption caused by the global pandemic). Since then, the phone has been quiet, even as he’s watched Florian Thauvin’s performances this season with RC Lens end a six-year exile from Les Bleus. 

In April, Tolisso admitted he was disappointed to miss out on the squad announcement for the March international break, which was the final international break before the World Cup. He said, “I was a bit disappointed when the last squad was announced. I believed [I would be there]. I have promised myself that I won’t talk about it in the media anymore. What will happen will happen. You can dream. I am working.”

Time running out for Corentin Tolisso

At 31 years old, it feels as if this could be his last shot at representing his nation at the World Cup, and while the door has not fully closed on the 2018 winner, the signs are not promising. According to a report from Téléfoot, Deschamps wants to take five midfielders to the World Cup, and there are already at least six players ahead of him, with Aurélien Tchouaméni, Warren Zaire-Emery, Adrien Rabiot, Manu Koné, N’Golo Kanté, and Eduardo Camavinga (with the latter the most likely to miss out). 

At the very least, Tolisso will not let the decision to leave him off the plane to North America be an easy one for Deschamps. It looks as if the Lyon captain will spend the final two weeks of the domestic season making the best possible case for his inclusion. And with this fire behind him, it’s hard not to think that Lyon are in a very good position to hold onto their spot on the podium and return to Europe’s premier competition. 

This week’s Ligue 1 sub-plots

• On Saturday, Paris Saint-Germain had both eyes on the second leg of their Champions League semi-final with Bayern Munich as they hosted FC Lorient. Luis Enrique rested most of his starters… the result was as expected, as Les Merlus held them to a 2-2 draw. Read how it happened HERE. 

• PSG dropping points was great news for Lens, who played that same evening. However, they couldn’t take advantage of PSG’s slip in the title race as they were forced to share points with relegation-threatened OGC Nice. Read all about it HERE.

• Lorient are on course for a top-half finish, but will likely go into the summer in search of a new head coach. Olivier Pantaloni is expected to step aside following the midseason takeover by Bournemouth owner, Black Knight FC. His replacement might well have been found. Read more HERE.

This feature is a repost from Get French Football News and can be found HERE

GFN | Nick Hartland

Roma doesn’t want to lose in their last three games: their goal is to collect nine points, hoping Juventus can slip up.

The Giallorossi coach and his team are a monolithic unit. Gasperini has defended the group since the start of the season: “It bothers me that some think this is a 5th-6th place team and can’t go any higher. If they had had more reinforcements, perhaps they would have achieved greater heights.”

It’s not a trivial comment, after the latest 4-0 victory against Fiorentina, like the one about the future: “Either I move forward with my ideas or I’d better look for another position.” A clear message.

Gian Piero Gasperini wants a say in coaching decisions.

He reiterated this repeatedly, even after the 4-0 win over Fiorentina thanks to goals from Mancini, Wesley, Hermoso, and Pisilli.

The coach also has clear ideas on the issue of contract renewals for players whose contracts are expiring.

As Corriere della Sera reports, the manager is asking the Friedkins for contract extensions for all those who could leave the capital on June 30th. No one is excluded.

The list is long: El Shaarawy, Celik, Dybala, and Pellegrini. It remains to be seen what the owners’ response will be, especially since a month ago the exact opposite was being reported.

Werder Bremen have reached an agreement to sign Kenny Quetant, according to Sky Germany.

Yet to sign a professional contract with Le Havre, the 19-year-old is available on a free transfer and is set to become Bremen’s first signing of the summer.

Per Florian Plettenberg, Quetant’s medical is planned for Thursday, where he will then sign a four-year contract until 2030 with an option to extend by a further year.

Interestingly, Bremen wasn’t the first option for Quetant. Le Parisien reported that Freiburg had been favourites to sign the young forward, who has scored one goal in nine Ligue 1 appearances for Le Havre this season, while Lille had also shown an interest in the Frenchman.

What’s more, Quetant hasn’t been a member of Le Havre’s first team squad since the end of March, due to the player’s lack of commitment to the club.

GGFN | Daniel Pinder

Gasperini wants to build the Roma of the future.

The Giallorossi coach believes the core team is a good foundation to which to add some top-notch players. No revolution, just a targeted reinforcement.

In the meantime, the Giallorossi club will have to deal with the transfers scheduled by June 30th and then also think about the incoming market.

Roma is looking for Malen’s reinforcements for next season.

As Il Messaggero reports, Gasperini is worried about not finding players of a certain caliber, because while he’d like to start over with his core squad, he’s equally determined to push for reinforcements. Malen is a sure thing, and the agency handling his interests could bring further signings.

In addition to West Ham’s Summerville, Tzolis, a left winger from Brugge, has been offered to the club via intermediaries.

The 2002-born player is valued at around €30 million.

Roma already conducted an enquiry last summer, so a resurgence of interest isn’t out of the question.

The Greek winger has scored 19 goals this season and added 22 assists.

Leam Richardon’s got some work to do, hasn’t he?

In the space of under a year, we’ve gone from a united fanbase who were behind the team, the manager and the ousting of the owner to now feeling completely disconnected with the team and the majority seemingly disillusioned with the manager.

Maybe there’s a good manager in there, somewhere, but it’s becoming more and more clear that Richardson isn’t the right manager for this team or this club. He seems somewhat overwhelmed by the expectations and size of Reading.

His comments post-match are becoming increasingly bizarre. We’ve had excuses about pitch conditions, having too many games, injuries, not enough available players, needing more time to develop the playing style of the team like other managers have had, the players not doing what he wants and his favourite line – about needing a pre-season and a few transfer windows.

However, the reality is that he’s had it as easy as Noel Hunt, and Hunt – an inexperienced manager – still delivered far more with far less. Look at this table:

This provides the number of players used each month between December and April this season and last. It also compares the number of games played and fixture congestion. This is a timely comparison because Hunt and Richardson came into their roles at similar times.

The raw data says it all, and it isn’t surprising: Richardson bemoans no pre-season and a lack of fitness, but he’s been in a similar position to his predecessor in terms of players available, the number of matches and time between games to work on things and implement his playing style.

Plus, Richardson has had a higher number of extended breaks – essentially anything above seven days – between matches. These are the particularly large gaps this season he’s had to work with the squad:

• November 6 to November 22
• November 29 to December 9
• December 18 to December 26
• January 4 to January 17

Whereas this was Hunt’s only equivalent break last season:

• March 15 to March 29

And not to mention, Richardson’s had literally double the number of first-team coaches supporting him, compared to Hunt.

If Hunt could mount a playoff challenge, why couldn’t an experienced manager with a bigger back room team? Richardson has also had the time to embed playing style and fitness but hasn’t done so.

Also, how does Richardson explain why players are still picking up injuries? The buck surely stops with the coach organising the training sessions, does it not?

And why not give the younger players more time to play, to avoid rushing players back from injury? Jack Marriott was rushed back against Cardiff City and look what happened. Similar happened to Randell Williams earlier in the season.

Richardson is pushing himself more and more into a corner with the importance he is giving to the upcoming pre-season. It seems he will get this pre-season, and I am fascinated to see what he does with it, but what if the pre-season doesn’t change the quality of performances or results? What will he blame then?

Performances

Poor. Just so damn poor. Richardson has had six months with this squad and it shows: they look completely demotivated, uninterested and uninspired.

Missing Jack Marriott won’t help any team, but relying on him to score the goals to save games is not a workable strategy. If it was as simple as that, we wouldn’t need a coaching staff and manager. Richardson’s job is to (forgive me for going all Moneyball here) find the goals in the aggregate. That means: how else can we score goals?

Long Kelvin is a work in progress, but playing the same style of football into him doesn’t enhance the attributes he has – it detracts from them. He is a very different player to Marriott. This is strikingly obvious to everyone, so why can’t Richardson adapt the system?

The raw numbers for April and May were: six games played. four goals scored, nine goals conceded (no clean sheets) and 14 shots on target – seven of which came in one game, against Cardiff City.

Let’s focus on the passing for April 2026: worryingly, we rank fourth in the league for the number of backwards/lateral passes completed per game (210 – 52% of our total passes) and 15th in the league for complete passes in the final third (58 per game). These are not good underlying numbers.

The data also shows we are not as reliant on the long ball as Richardson is often criticised for: we rank 20th for long passes attempted (47 per game), but only 18th for accurate ones (18 per game, a 39% success rate). That’s damning.

When you factor in that, during April, Reading were ninth in the league for total completed passes per game (398) and 11th for pass accuracy (77%), it tells you that we have a team who do not know how to move the ball with efficiency or directness. Basically: we have a team that do not know how to build successful attacking transitions.

For further context: let’s compare to April 2025, when Reading were in a similar position in the table and challenging for the playoffs, except with far less squad depth and experience:

What does this tell us? We play more passes and go long less often too, but we play fewer passes in the final third compared to last year and we play substantially more backwards/lateral passes.

This begs the question: what on earth is Richardson doing with this team in the training sessions to make them worse than last year?

Approval rating

What do you make of the job Richardson has done in the dugout so far?

You can grade him in our approval rating poll below, with one being the lowest and five the highest. If the poll doesn’t display on your device, try this link right here.

Managerless Hartlepool United have released 13 players after finishing ninth in the National League.

Pools, who were taken over by American businessman Landon Smith in December, ended the season under the management of Nicky Featherstone but confirmed last month that he would be leaving at the end of the campaign.

Joe Aungiers, Adam Campbell, Matty Daly, Nathan Ferguson, Sam Folarin, Nick Hayes, Gavan Holohan, Danny Johnson, Vadaine Oliver, Tom Parkes, Alex Reid, Louis Stephenson and Brad Walker have all be let go at the end of their contracts.

The club are in discussions with Luke Charman, Campbell Darcy and Jack Hunter about new deals.

Kian Foreman, Max Kouogun, Jamie Miley and Nathan Sheron were all under contract for next season and options have been activated on the deals of Jay Benn, Josh Donaldson and Reiss McNally to keep them at the club for 2026-27.

Celtic are linked with two players with Scottish Premiership rivals as Arne Engels is tipped for a summer exit from the Scottish champions.

Celtic have put Marc Leonard firmly on their summer radar and will continue to monitor the 24-year-old midfielder in his final three games of the season on loan to title rivals Heart of Midlothian from Birmingham City. (Daily Record)

Celtic are keeping tabs on Falkirk striker Barney Stewart and have the 22-year-old on their radar as an option to bolster their attack this summer. (Football Insider)

RB Leipzig are closely monitoring Arne Engels with a departure from Celtic planned this summer and with clubs from the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga also keen on the 22-year-old midfielder. (Florian Plettenberg on X)

Raith Rovers plan talks with Rangers as they hope to retain 20-year-old midfielder Paul Nsio, who has been on loan to the Scottish Championship club. (The Scotsman)

Dundee defender Ryan Astley wants to remain with Dundee, with the 24-year-old out of contract this summer. (The Courier)

• Wednesday's English & European transfer rumours
• O'Neill says Hearts can be regular title contenders
• Tuesday's Scottish gossip

Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson wants to sign on-loan striker Toyosi Olusanya on a permanent basis, with the 28-year-old out of contract with Houston Dynamo this summer but with the Major League Soccer club having an option to extend it for another year. (Daily Record)

Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson says some of his summer signings "won't be sexy" but will be granite solid in delivering seven or eight out of 10 performances in every game. (Press & Journal)

Inverness Caledonian Thistle are keen to retain striker Alfie Stewart with the 19-year-old on-loan striker's contract with Aberdeen not being renewed. (Press & Journal)

Highly-rated 15-year-old Celtic striker Zion Pullan has been called up for Spain for the first time. (The Herald)

Republic of Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson has confirmed Hibernian striker Owen Elding intends to play for his team amid continued passport issues. (Edinburgh Evening News)

Bryson DeChambeau has suggested that he would focus on growing his YouTube channel rather than a return to the PGA Tour if LIV Golf does not continue to operate.

The future of LIV is in some doubt after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) confirmed that it would not be funding the series beyond the season, with the breakaway series now seeking new investors.

DeChambeau is one of the marquee stars of the venture with a sizeable profile both within and outside of golf. His YouTube channel has 2.69m subscribers, and has featured guests including President Donald Trump and a host of sporting stars.

The 32-year-old was offered the chance to return to the PGA Tour earlier this year via the returning member programme, but declined to follow Brooks Koepka to instead remain with LIV.

And DeChambeau has suggested that cultivating his YouTube audience around the world would become his focus if LIV does not continue, while also playing a limited number of tournaments.

“I think, from my perspective, I'd love to grow my YouTube channel three times, maybe even more," two-time major winner DeChambeau said to ESPN.

"I would love to. I'd love to do a bunch of dubbing in different languages, giving the world more reason to watch YouTube. And then I'd love to play tournaments that want me."

DeChambeau's LIV contract is up at the end of this season, with reports suggesting that he had been negotiating a new deal before the news of PIF’s withdrawal.

He admitted that the announcement had come as a surprise, but that he hopes that it might enable golf to come back together.

"I was completely shocked," DeChambeau said. "I didn't expect it to happen. A couple months before that, it's like: 'We're here until 2032. We've got financing until 2032,' and so I told everybody, and that's what I was told.

"And then, you know, I haven't had any communication. And unfortunately, things are moving on in a different direction. Obviously, they wanted to move on.

"If we have a great business model and they're [PGA Tour, DP World Tour] very interested in combining forces, that's the Kumbaya moment, right?

"So, it's our job to come up with a better business plan on the [top company] side. The team franchises, there's enough making profit now to where we could sell them for close to $200m (£147m), and that's not talking about my team either.

"I think it requires a little bit of everybody kind of just lowering their guards and all coming together and going: 'OK, what's best for the game of golf?'"

Ranking the 30 best WNBA players in 2026, from A'ja Wilson to Caitlin Clark originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

After an unprecedented offseason that saw players' salaries leap into new stratospheres, the 2026 WNBA season is mercifully here.

That's a welcome sight for masses of women's basketball enthusiasts, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the best talents the sport has to offer.

A'ja Wilson sits at the top of the ladder after a glint 2025 season that saw her capture nearly all there was to offer in 2025. The Aces supernova dances with eternals. And with four MVPs and three WNBA titles to her name, there's a real case that the South Carolina product can be considered the greatest's player in the sport's history.

Behind her are a cadre of gemstones, stretching from Minnesota and Indiana to the Big Apple and Los Angeles.

So, just who are the best players in the WNBA heading into the 2026 season? Here's what you need to know.

SN's WNBA HQ: Live WNBA scores | Updated WNBA standings | Full WNBA schedule

WNBA player rankings for 2026 season: Top 10

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

10. Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever

Mitchell enjoyed the best season of her career in 2025, averaging a career-best 20.2 points per game en route to a first-team All-WNBA appearance and a fifth-place finish in MVP voting. She kept her strong displays going in the postseason, bringing Indiana to the cusp of a Finals appearance before going down in Game 5 with rhabdomyolysis, a rare muscle injury that causes one's muscles to break down, leading to muscle death.

Mitchell will likely see her usage rate decrease as Caitlin Clark returns to health. That shouldn't diminish her shine too much, however; she hasn't averaged fewer than 17.8 points per game since 2019.

MORE: Tracking the most notable releases by team, from Hailey Van Lith to Marta Suarez

9. Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever

Boston, too, dazzled in Clark's absence, producing more points and assists than any other campaign in her still-budding career. Her paint passing makes her a unicorn of sorts among paint talents. So too does her defense -- Boston remains one of the sport's most enchanting rim protectors, leaving attackers forlorn as the anchor to Indiana's defense.

Boston was rewarded handsomely for her exploits, taking home the largest contract in WNBA history in terms of total value.

8. Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings

Bueckers was the league's best guard in her maiden season, wowing audiences with her mid-range game, stout off-ball defense and fluid handle. She was the fifth-leading scorer in the league and ranked joint-eighth in assists per game, capturing Rookie of the Year and All-WNBA second team honors.

With Azzi Fudd, Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard in tow, the Wings could put themselves in postseason contention. If so, Bueckers could end up in MVP consideration.

Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

7. Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream

Gray might not command the same level of publicity of some of her counterparts on this year's list. But make no mistake; she is a hooper.

The South Carolina alum was the centerpiece to Dream head coach Karl Smesko's setup in 2026, posting career highs in points, rebounds and assists. Furthermore, she secured her first All-WNBA berth, being voted to the first team. A dogged defender and steady offensive performer, Gray lead Atlanta to its best record in franchise history in 2025. With the nucleus of the team back and Angel Reese set to join the ranks, Atlanta should be in contention for an NBA title come 2026.

MORE: Best and worst 2026 Met Gala outfits from the sports world

6. Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty

Stewart had a down season by her standards in 2025, seeing her scoring and rebounding tail off while missing 13 games with injury issues. She still remains one of the sport's finest two-way talents and enjoyed a wondrous offseason, capturing titles in Unrivaled and EuroLeague with the Mist and Fenerbahce, respectively.

However, it's she'll have to settle for a slightly lower position than she commanded this time last year. Her shooting has been trending downward for the better part of three seasons, a worry for a player set to turn 32 during the season.

(Getty Images)

5. Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces

Young is undoubtedly one of the best guards in basketball. She showed as much during the playoffs, tallying 20.4 points per game on 49.4% shooting as the Aces captured their third title in four seasons.

The No. 1 pick in the 2019 Draft, Young has made her mark in Sin City in recent seasons. She should continue to shine in Las Vegas' backcourt, taking on greater responsibilities as Chelsea Gray nears the end of her glittering career.

4. Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury

Thomas is one of the most unique players in WNBA history, serving as an offensive hub despite offering little scoring threat from outside of the painted area. The 34-year-old is getting older. But her production continues to dazzle -- she fell less than one assist and less than rebounds short of averaging a triple-double for the whole of a season.

There are valid concerns about the viability of a Thomas-led offense in the playoffs. Still, she broke the record for most assists in a single season and continues to make plays on both ends of the floor. She is more than deserving of top-four recognition.

MORE: Which WNBA teams have the highest valuations?

3. Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever

Clark's 2025 season was effectively a write-off. The Iowa alum played in just 12 games, suffering injuries to her quad, groins and ankle. She fell way short of her 2024 production in the games she did play, seeing her three-point rate dip beneath 30 percent.

And yet, she remains in the same spot she was this time last year. Why? Well, things couldn't get much worse for Clark than they did in 2025. She is the sport's preeminent playmaker and her gravity opens up the floor for the likes of Boston and Mitchell.

All that amounts to a top-three player in the league. Expect Clark to enjoy a far better go of things in the 2026 season.

MORE:Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese matchup history

2. Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx

Collier will miss the first half of the season after undergoing surgery on both of her ankles. When she returns to action, she'll immediately surge to the top of the league's hierarchy -- right where she belongs.

Collier would have won MVP had it not been for Wilson's sizzling campaign. She has a case for the title of "league's most impactful defender" (alongside Wilson) and can produce highlights across the floor. Minnesota's roster looks a lot different to the title-contending unit it constructed in 2024 and 2025. Nevertheless, Collier should shine in Cheryl Reeve's setup, even if the Lynx do take a step back in 2026.

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

1. A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Was it ever a surprise? Wilson returns to the top of the charts in 2026. The South Carolina alum brought the Aces back to the mountaintop after a one-year hiatus, hoisting not only her third career title, but also her second career WNBA Finals MVP.

That was one of several accolades Wilson picked up last season. She collected her fourth MVP and fifth All-WNBA first team appearance. She also claimed the Defensive Player of the Year prize, sharing the achievement with Alanna Smith.

Wilson is the best player in the land. She's probably the best player in league history. We can expect her to sit at the same spot on this list in 2027.

MORE: Raven Johnson lauds Caitlin Clark for sense of humor, competitive spirit

Ranking the best WNBA players in 2026

Here's a look at the top 30 players in the WNBA heading into the 2026 season.

MORE: History of Angel Reese's lovers, from Jalen Duren to Wendell Carter Jr.

Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana (25) has been offered to Barcelona by the Frenchman’s representatives, as per a report from Sacha Tavolieri. 

Since joining Chelsea from Leicester City, the France international has struggled with injury issues, limiting him to 68 club appearances since 2022. However, 34 of those have come this season, suggesting that the injury issues may be behind him.

His future, however, may not lie at Chelsea, Tavolieri understands. Fofana has been offered to Barcelona by the player’s representatives. The La Liga giants are in the market for a left-sided centre-back, but could also target a defender capable of playing on the right of the defence. There have been talks between the Catalan club and the player’s entourage in recent weeks.

Chelsea are not opposed to selling Fofana this summer. However, the London club will not do so for a fee lower than €30m (without bonuses). Barcelona would prefer a loan with a buy option. Chelsea would prefer a permanent deal if Fofana is to leave the club at the end of the season.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Diego Simeone was targeted by Arsenal fans after being seen to step on the club’s badge following the Champions League semi-final second leg.

Bukayo Saka’s goal was enough to split the teams on the night with a 1-0 win sending Mikel Arteta’s side into the final in Budapest 2-1 on aggregate.

But after raging at Ben White for stepping on Atletico’s badge in the Metropolitano Stadium last week during the first leg, Simeone was targeted in defeat in London, with the home crowd able to influence the contest, according to Arteta.

Video surfaced after the game of Simeone stepping on the Arsenal crest, which greets the players and coaching staff between the pitch and changing rooms.

And the footage suggested a contradiction in the Argentine coach’s approach after his visible anger last week towards White.

Simeone could be seen looking down at the ground before stepping on the Arsenal badge and disappearing into the tunnel towards the dressing rooms.

While most Atletico players could be seen walking around the Arsenal badge, though José María Giménez also opted to walk straight over it and was then targeted by some Gunners fans observing from above.

Diego Simeone walked OVER the Arsenal badge right in front of the Gunners fans at full-time... 😳

Just one week after confronting Ben White for walking over the Atletico Madrid badge, was Simeone being 'disrespectful' himself? 👀 pic.twitter.com/CdVKm6wINS

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) May 6, 2026

Arteta hailed the impact of the lively Emirates crowd and the difference they made in the tie.

“That box is ticked now, now we have to maintain it,” Arteta said. “Now we go to the level that I think a top club that wants to be fighting consistently for the highest trophies, that's a must. We've got it now, now we have to maintain it.

“The high is not too high, the low is not too low, my job is to be quite stable. I really will enjoy it, everyone is enjoying this moment now. Tomorrow we have to start to prepare for Sunday, we have an incredible game now to play against West Ham, a really tough one and we're going to have four days to do that. It's great, let's enjoy the moment.

“It's great, everybody can feel a shift in energy, in belief, in everything. Let's use it in the right way, understanding the margins and the difficulty of what we are trying to achieve. It's huge but we have the ability and the conviction to do that for sure.”

Arsenal now face four games with a historic Premier League and Champions League double at stake.

The Gunners travel to London rivals West Ham on Sunday with the Hammers desperate for points to beat the drop, before hosting Burnley and a final day trip away to Crystal Palace before preparations begin to take on Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on 30 May.

Former Arsenal defender Matt Upson believes Mikel Arteta's side are "good enough" to win the Champions League this season, having reached the club's first final in the esteemed competition in 20 years.

"The 2025-26 season has changed for Arsenal yet again," Upson said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily after the final whistle. "All of a sudden, the mood has been uplifted from being really concerning.

"The players will actually start looking forward to the rest of their Premier League fixtures now. There was a sense of dread building up to it, but it should be more excitement-based now."

Upson, who won six trophies during his time at Emirates Stadium, added: "Arsenal have to believe they are at the elite table now. They are good enough to go on and win this competition.

"This group can definitely do it and these are the kinds of moments that really feed that belief.

"You do have to cultivate that feeling of being one of the best teams in Europe, it doesn't just happen, and winning football matches against top teams certainly helps."

When asked who he would prefer his former side to face in the Budapest final, Upson replied: "I don't think there is a 'better option' between Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain.

"It is the Champions League final so whoever you're playing it is going to be the most challenging game you could possibly think of.

"Luckily the players can now sit back, watch the other semi-final unravel, and have a good look at the team they are going to face in the final."

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Ian Wright urged Arsenal fans to celebrate reaching the Champions League final in full, despite criticism from pundit Wayne Rooney.

Mikel Arteta’s side booked their place in the showpiece in Budapest on 30 May with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Atletico Madrid.

Bukayo Saka’s first-half tap-in in Tuesday’s semi-final second leg was enough to propel the Gunners to the final after a 1-1 stalemate in the first leg, putting them a step closer to a first Champions League title – as well as in the driving seat in the Premier League title race.

Saka’s goal at the Emirates Stadium sparked wild celebrations and fans flooded the pitch at full-time to celebrate with the players, leading to criticism from Rooney.

He said on Amazon Prime: “They deserve to be in this position, but they haven’t won it yet. I think the celebrations are a little bit too much. Celebrate when you win.”

Former Arsenal star Wright was quick to respond, posting a video to social media in which he said: “Arsenal fans, let me tell you something: enjoy this. The celebration police will be out in force, do not get nicked!

“Enjoy yourselves, football’s about moments and this is a big moment. Enjoy it and let’s hope that in the final and after the final we have another massive moment. It’s a great day!”

pic.twitter.com/ZPRoU5D1f0

— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) May 5, 2026

Midfielder Declan Rice was also quick to encourage celebrations, telling Amazon Prime after the win: “I don’t think you can underestimate what we have done in this competition up to this point.

“We have every right to celebrate that moment. The most prestigious competition in club football. We are just trying to soak it all in.

“We knew coming into the game what was at stake. If you can’t get up for that, then you can’t get up for any game of football.

“When we went 1-0 up, I knew we were going to win. I could feel something special building.”

The atmosphere at the Emirates has occasionally come under criticism in recent seasons for failing to replicate the kind of vocal support enjoyed at other teams’ home grounds.

But a superb atmosphere was created from before kick-off on Tuesday night as supporters greeted the team bus with flares and chants, the first time that has happened, and Arteta paid tribute to that warm reception afterwards.

He said: “It was an incredible night. We made history again together and I cannot be happier and prouder for everybody that’s involved in this football club.

“The manner that we [were] received outside the stadium was special and unique. The atmosphere, our support has created the energy, the way they managed every ball with us... I never felt that in the stadium [before].

“We knew how much it meant to everybody... the boys did an incredible job and after 20 years and a second time in our history, we are back in the Champions League final.”

Former Inter and Brescia midfielder Evaristo Beccalossi has died aged 69: ‘Always one of us,’ wrote the Nerazzurri.

Italian football mourns former midfielder Beccalossi, who died on Tuesday night aged 69.

Ex-Inter star Beccalossi dies at 69

The former Inter star suffered a cerebral haemorrhage in January 2025. After being in a coma for 47 days, he underwent a long rehabilitation period in his hometown, Brescia, where he tragically passed away last night.

Beccalossi would have 70 on May 12.

A former midfielder for the Rondinelle, Inter, Sampdoria, Monza, Barletta and Pordenone, Beccalossi scored 30 goals in 249 appearances in Italy’s top flight.

He played for Inter from 1978 to 1984, scoring 37 goals in 216 appearances across all competitions, and won the Serie A title in 1979-80.

During his time at the Stadio Meazza, Beccalossi also reached the 1980-81 European Cup semifinals and won the 1981-82 Coppa Italia. He did win the Coppa Italia with Sampdoria as well, in the 1984-85 campaign.

Beccalossi did not play for the Italy national team, but made three appearances with the U21 team and scored one goal in four matches with Italy’s Olympic team.

MILAN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 23: Evaristo Beccalossi attends The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 at the Teatro Alla Scala on September 23, 2019 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

Inter paid tribute to their former midfielder with a statement on their official website.

“FC Internazionale Milano and the entire Inter community join in mourning the passing of Evaristo Beccalossi, and, in remembering him, extend the deepest condolences to his family,” the Nerazzurri said.

“It feels impossible. In the folds of memory and in everyday life, Evaristo was always one of us. Unpredictable, like his dribbling, unique, like his way of handling the ball.”

Borussia Dortmund have re-entered the race to sign Hertha Berlin prodigy Kennet Eichhorn.

Sport Bild report that a personal meeting took place between newly appointed sporting director Nils Book and Eichhorn at the beginning of April.

However, Dortmund face competition from Bundesliga counterparts RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen in the bid to sign Eichhorn, who has a reported €12m exit clause – a feasible fee for all three clubs.

Who is Kennet Eichhorn?

Awarded his 2. Bundesliga debut by Stefan Leitl at 16 years and 14 days in August 2025, Eichhorn has played 15 times for Hertha Berlin in Germany’s second division, picking up seven yellow cards in 999 minutes of football.

Valued at €20m on Transfermarkt, the defensive midfielder has also attracted attention from Europe’s elite clubs: Real Madrid, Manchester United, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, among others.

GGFN | Daniel Pinder

Chelsea face the biggest decision in the club’s history this summer and could end up like Tottenham if they get it wrong according to talkSPORT host Andy Jacobs.

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It’s been another difficult season for the Blues, who find themselves ninth in the league with just three games remaining.

Monday’s 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest condemned the Blues to their sixth league defeat in a row, and they’ve only scored once in those games.

Andy Jacobs warns Chelsea they could end up like Spurs

Chelsea still have an FA Cup final against Manchester City to try and salvage something from the season, whilst their only chance of Champions League football is a sixth placed finish if Aston Villa come fifth and win the Europa League.

The Blues face arguably one of the most important summers in recent history with a new head coach needing to be appointed, and serious reinforcements added to the squad.

Liam Rosenior lasted less than four months, and Jacobs has warned Chelsea they could end up like Tottenham if they get this wrong.

“People are having a go at the players, but it’s like the Spurs players under Igor Tudor, it’s not them, it’s the manager,” he told talkSPORT.

“The manager does matter, who it is, and the whole structure. This season’s over and it’s done, now it’s the biggest decision in the club’s history, they’ve got to get it right.

“If they don’t get it right, then everybody can see the writing on the wall and what’s going to happen next season.”

If you enjoy Chelsea News coverage and want to see more of it, add us as a preferred source on Google to make us a favourite and see more of our content.

In other news…

It’s been reported nothing is going on between Chelsea and Xavi Hernandez, despite suggestions the Blues had reached out to the Spaniard.

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Chelsea are still in theprocess of deciding who their new head coach will be after sacking Liam Rosenior last month.

Andoni Iraola, Marco Silva and Xabi Alonso are three names said to feature highly in their thinking at this point in time.

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

John Aldridge has implored Liverpool not to sell two players who’ve recently been linked with potential exits from Anfield in the summer.

Last week, Fabrizio Romano claimed that Curtis Jones’ contract situation is on ‘standby’ (he has 14 months remaining on his current deal) and he could duly become a ‘really interesting option’ for several prospective suitors.

Meanwhile, Sky Sports reported earlier this week that Juventus have now made Alisson Becker a ‘top target’ for the upcoming transfer window, following on from Paul Joyce writing that ‘there is renewed doubt‘ as to how much longer the goalkeeper will stay with the Reds.

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Aldridge implores Liverpool to keep Alisson and Jones

In his latest column for the Liverpool Echo, Aldridge made the case for his former club to keep hold of both players, particularly amid the context of other high-profile departures, and questioned how those rumours originated in the first place.

He wrote: ‘Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson will be leaving the club at the end of the month and there has been talk about other players who could leave, such as Alisson and Curtis Jones. I don’t know where this talk has come from. I feel like someone is trying to throw a spanner in the works.

‘There’s no way Liverpool can let Alisson and Jones go this summer. We’ve had one big transition last year. Alisson can play at Anfield for another four or five years. Why make the squad situation any more difficult?

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

‘I can’t see the point in letting someone like him go. I know he’s had some injury problems this year that have affected his kicking a bit but it feels like someone outside the club just trying to cause chaos.

‘As for Jones, he’s a local lad and a Liverpool fan. Where would he go? I’d be very surprised he if left.’

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Alisson and Jones are vital performers for Liverpool

Even though his playing time over the past couple of seasons has been significantly curtailed by injuries, Alisson remains a crucial figure for Liverpool, and to lose him off the back of Salah and Robertson leaving would be an enormous blow for the Reds.

The Brazilian is a standard bearer on the pitch and in the dressing room, and we’ve already seen several big leadership presences depart over the past three years.

(Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, for all the criticism that Jones gets, some of his underlying performance statistics are among the best of any Premier League midfielder this season, and he’s currently the one local presence in the senior squad, a commodity which should never be dismissed or underappreciated.

That alone shouldn’t get a player into the first-team setup, but the 25-year-old has proven over the past several years that he belongs at this level. If he didn’t, there’s no way he’d have surpassed 200 appearances for Liverpool.

We fully agree with Aldridge that it’d be a massive risk to let either of them depart in the summer, and we firmly hope that both will agree to remain with the Reds for at least another season, even if their contract situations are both at that delicate one-year stage.

Yankees trade proposal solidifies last remaining need by landing veteran on worst AL team originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

If the New York Yankees continue to play at the level they have to start the 2026 season, not only is there reason to believe that this team can win the American League, but there's a lot of reason to think they can win a World Series. 

The Yankees have done a very good job on both sides of the baseball, but they'll still need some help at the trade deadline.

Just as every contending team has shown over the past few years, adding another arm is never a bad thing, whether that be in the bullpen or rotation. The Yankees have shown their willingness to improve on the mound over the past few trade deadlines, and the expectation is that that will continue this year.

Recently proposing a trade while looking for a way for the Yankees to get better, they were linked to an intriguing reliever who has thrown the baseball at a high level throughout his career.

Yankees Acquire: RP Seranthony Dominguez

White Sox Acquire: RHP Rory Fox, OF Jace Avina

“From the Yankees’ perspective, this is a win-now move for a team sitting 23–11 and in first place in the American League, where the focus shifts from prospect development to strengthening the MLB roster for a playoff run.

“Adding Seranthony Domínguez (3.95 ERA, 17 K, 1.244 WHIP in 13.2 IP over 15 games) gives them immediate bullpen help with swing-and-miss stuff for high-leverage situations, even if he’s not a dominant closer,” Ryan Shea of SI wrote.

Dominguez isn't somebody who is going to wow guys with his stuff more often than not, but he's also been a very solid reliever for contending-caliber teams throughout his career. 

It was a bit strange that he ended up with the Chicago White Sox this year, but the White Sox can also view this as a good thing, as they'll now have a player who can be traded for some decent prospects at the deadline.

More MLB news:

• Yankees expected move once Carlos Rodon returns is obvious right now
• Yankees get update on Carlos Rodon after win against Rangers
• Blue Jays are missing Bo Bichette, and this concerning Vladimir Guerrero Jr stat shows why
• Angels’ Mike Trout gets reality check on his future in Los Angeles
• Angels’ Mike Trout floated as option for California team in deal that makes no sense
• Red Sox’s trade of Rafael Devers actually looks genius, and this one stat proves why

Yankees expected move once Carlos Rodon returns is obvious right now originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Some players on the New York Yankees have found out the hard way that if they don't play well, there are other guys in the organization who will do what's needed to win at the highest level. As a result, they typically get replaced. 

The latest that happened to was Anthony Volpe, who was optioned to Triple-A.

With Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole returning at some point, whether that be in the next few days for Rodon or in a month for Cole, there will definitely be an impact on some guys in the rotation. 

According to the latest, somebody like Ryan Weathers or Will Warren will likely be moved to the bullpen because of that.

“When Rodón returns, the Yankees will likely send Elmer Rodríguez back to the minor leagues. If everyone remains healthy when Cole is ready, Ryan Weathers or Will Warren will probably go to the bullpen. Weathers is the likely choice, as he completed only 38 1/3 innings last season; he’s already at 38 2/3 innings this year. Weathers has been an effective backend starter, ranking highly in strikeout and walk percentages, but there’s only so much space in the rotation,” Chris Kirschner of The Athletic wrote.

I say moving to the bullpen is a downgrade because guys definitely want to be starters in Major League Baseball, no matter how anybody wants to spin it. 

Starters get paid a lot more money, and for somebody like Warren or Weathers, who should play long enough to reach free agency and get a decent payday, that should have an impact on them. However, this is the right decision from the Yankees when it eventually happens, which is what the organization has to focus on.

More MLB news:

• Yankees get update on Carlos Rodon after win against Rangers
• Blue Jays are missing Bo Bichette, and this concerning Vladimir Guerrero Jr stat shows why
• Angels’ Mike Trout gets reality check on his future in Los Angeles
• Angels’ Mike Trout floated as option for California team in deal that makes no sense
• Red Sox’s trade of Rafael Devers actually looks genius, and this one stat proves why
• Crazy Mets and Phillies stat shows Dodgers’ spending isn’t as big of a deal as most make it

Yankees get update on Carlos Rodon after win against Rangers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New York Yankees are hopeful they'll only get healthier over the next few weeks, which seems almost guaranteed at this point, barring something drastic.

 The Yankees proved when they sent Anthony Volpe down that they're as serious as ever in terms of trying to win a World Series this year, so they'll need their guys healthy and ready to go. The top two remaining players to return from injuries will be Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole, arguably the two best pitchers in the Yankees organization. 

Recently, looking at when both could return, it sounds like things are progressing very well for the two aces. In fact, Rodon could even return to the Yankees after his rehab start on Tuesday.

“Nearly everything has gone well for the 23-11 Yankees, and there are still ways for them to get even better as the season progresses. The starting rotation’s 2.74 ERA is tops in MLB, and that’s without Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole. It’s expected Rodón will make one more rehab assignment start Tuesday, which would put him in line to potentially make his season debut May 10. Cole is still a few weeks away, but he’s progressing well,” Chris Kirschner of The Athletic wrote.

The Yankees have the luxury right now of not having to rush either of these guys back. It's important that they don't do anything short-sighted and try to bring Rodon back if they don't feel fully confident in how he looks. However, the Yankees are very smart with things like that, so they'll definitely do the right thing here.

More MLB news:

• Blue Jays are missing Bo Bichette, and this concerning Vladimir Guerrero Jr stat shows why
• Angels’ Mike Trout gets reality check on his future in Los Angeles
• Angels’ Mike Trout floated as option for California team in deal that makes no sense
• Red Sox’s trade of Rafael Devers actually looks genius, and this one stat proves why
• Crazy Mets and Phillies stat shows Dodgers’ spending isn’t as big of a deal as most make it
• Ridiculous stat shows why Yankees haven’t called up Spencer Jones to MLB

Blue Jays are missing Bo Bichette, and this concerning Vladimir Guerrero Jr stat shows why originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

It's been an interesting start to the season for the Toronto Blue Jays, and frankly, if this team were healthy, we'd likely be looking at one of the better teams in baseball. Unfortunately for Toronto, it has just been hit with injuries, something that's unavoidable at times.

There are also some other problems that the Blue Jays have run into, and one of them is moving on from guys like Bo Bichette. 

Everybody knew the Blue Jays were going to move on from Bichette and let him walk in free agency, which he did by signing with the New York Mets. 

However, because of allowing guys like him to walk, there have been problems throughout the lineup, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Guerrero is still one of the best hitters in baseball, but he's not seeing as many pitches to hit as he did at other stages of his career.

“Without a consistent threat behind the top slugger, Guerrero has seen fewer pitches in the heart of the zone (21.5 percent) than at any point in his big-league career. Opposing pitchers are wasting more pitches (11.2 percent) against the first baseman. It’s certainly part of why Guerrero has brought more on-base (.421 OBP) than power (two homers) this season,” Mitch Bannon of The Athletic wrote.

That's a somewhat concerning stat, and something the Blue Jays will ultimately have to figure out, whether that's right now or in the future. Kazuma Okamoto has been figuring things out recently, but he'll have to prove it a lot more throughout his career for teams to really start giving Guerrero better pitches to hit.

More MLB news:

• Angels’ Mike Trout gets reality check on his future in Los Angeles
• Angels’ Mike Trout floated as option for California team in deal that makes no sense
• Red Sox’s trade of Rafael Devers actually looks genius, and this one stat proves why
• Crazy Mets and Phillies stat shows Dodgers’ spending isn’t as big of a deal as most make it
• Ridiculous stat shows why Yankees haven’t called up Spencer Jones to MLB
• Red Sox’s update on Jason Varitek suggest ex-fan favorite has no future in Boston

Angels’ Mike Trout gets reality check on his future in Los Angeles originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

There's no debate that Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels is one of the greatest players to ever lace them up. If we look at a pure talent standpoint, Trout is probably one of the best five players ever to play the game. 

Trout has been excellent to start the 2026 campaign, and it's honestly one of the best stories of the year. When Trout is swinging the bat at a high level, baseball is a lot better.

However, moving on from a guy like Trout from the Angels' perspective doesn't always make sense, even if they believe they can get a decent return for him right now, as most don't believe they're contenders, and much of Trout's career would suggest that they aren't.

Despite that, others believe it's time to do so, even if it isn't the popular opinion.

“It’s quite possible that Trout will get hurt again, as he has in almost every year since the pandemic season, and obviate any discussion of his trade value. It’s quite probable that Moreno won’t allow GM Perry Minasian to even entertain trade offers. And there’s certainly a chance, albeit small, that Trout’s rally to start 2026 is a mirage — maybe just flukey, maybe a rare time when he’s in such good physical condition that he can remind us of the player he once was, and some minor ailment will bring him back to earth.

"The Angels’ future is bleak with or without him, however. Sometimes trading the best player in the franchise’s history is the right move for the franchise’s future,” Keith Law of The Athletic wrote.

Trout is obviously the greatest player in Angels history, and there's always going to be teams out there that want a player like him. However, I do think the Angels need to consider some of the downsides of moving on from him, as this could completely gut the franchise if things don't work out well in the future.

More MLB news:

• Angels’ Mike Trout floated as option for California team in deal that makes no sense
• Red Sox’s trade of Rafael Devers actually looks genius, and this one stat proves why
• Crazy Mets and Phillies stat shows Dodgers’ spending isn’t as big of a deal as most make it
• Ridiculous stat shows why Yankees haven’t called up Spencer Jones to MLB
• Red Sox’s update on Jason Varitek suggest ex-fan favorite has no future in Boston
• Mets get update on David Wright as New York’s potential head coach in the future

OKLAHOMA CITY — Lakers head coach JJ Redick could only look toward the sky midway through the third quarter, uttering a slew of words not suitable for a national broadcast as he watched his defense momentarily break down, resulting in a wide-open Lu Dort triple and a Cason Wallace point-blank layup. 

A deficit that had been as small as four points in the second half had ballooned to double digits in the span of two minutes, a less-than-ideal swing against the best team in basketball. But Redick’s frustration, while temporarily fixated on the Lakers’ mistakes, wasn’t solely attributed to them. Tuesday night was a night rooted in opportunity cost, a successful strategy in slowing down superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — which ultimately is their best path to an upset — but also a display of Los Angeles’ offensive woes, sponsored by a combined 7-of-31 shooting night from Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart. 

“You’re playing the world champs, your margin for error in terms of mistakes is not that high,” Redick said following the Lakers’ 108-90 loss in Game 1 of the second-round series. “You can make mistakes — basketball is a game full of mistakes — but just too many tonight. But there were some good things, we held Shai under 20 and the guys played hard. Just gotta do a better job of execution, which comes down to attention to detail. We’ll clean things up and be better.”

Gilgeous-Alexander’s output is buried within Redick’s eulogy but considering the reigning regular-season and Finals MVP’s impact on Oklahoma City’s halfcourt execution, it’s worth exponentially more than a passing statement. Gilgeous-Alexander is the best scorer in basketball on the most dangerous team in the league. A plethora of defenses have tried to stop or slow him down and many have failed. 

What the Lakers were able to achieve, holding SGA to just 18 points in 35 minutes — he hasn’t scored under 20 points all season and it’s the fewest he’s scored in a game since Game 3 of last year’s conference finals against Minnesota — is more than just a silver lining. It’s probably their best shot in this series. Gilgeous-Alexander missed nearly as many shots (seven) as he made (eight) and coughed up the ball seven times, constantly being rushed into decisions and making a litany of mistakes rarely seen of a player his caliber. Gilgeous-Alexander also took just one outside shot and attempted three free throws, two key rhythm areas that were shut off. The Lakers have been one of the most stringent halfcourt defensive units in the postseason, allowing just 84.9 points per 100 plays and limited the Thunder to just 94.3 points per Tuesday night. For context, Oklahoma City came into the  game averaging 112.2 points per 100, 10 points higher than its regular-season mark. Its Game 1 output was on par with a bottom-five offense. 

Yahoo Sports had a unique vantage point Tuesday evening, within earshot of the Lakers bench, allowing for the unpacking of an aggressive, timely scheme aimed at delaying, denying and diverting Gilgeous-Alexander away from the action.

Let’s dig in.

Principle 1: Compactness and timing

With regard to Gilgeous-Alexander, it’s important to limit his operating window and vision. The Lakers understand that in order to control possessions like the one below, all five players need to be in a close enough proximity to be able to send help. This compact shell isn’t something Los Angeles does often — the Lakers are just 21st in frequency per Synergy tracking data — but it allows just 1.042 points per chance (ninth in the NBA) and is tops in opponent turnover rate when it uses it.

This play actually starts with SGA attempting to burst through the middle, a passage that is quickly sealed off due to the Lakers’ compactness, forcing him to give up the ball and relocate for an isolation. From the Lakers bench, Redick yells, “Go! Go! Go!” the moment Gilgeous-Alexander catches the ball near the deep corner. Pay attention to Luke Kennard, who gradually heads toward Gilgeous-Alexander’s direction, speeding him up as SGA unsuccessfully tries to draw a foul and throws the ball away. 

Principle 2: Hedging their bets

The frequency of Gilgeous-Alexander’s pick-and-rolls may have decreased slightly from the regular season to the playoffs, but the jump in efficiency (1.20 to 1.58) is enough to cause concern — and therefore an aggressive approach. According to Second Spectrum, the Thunder scored 1.160 points per possession on passes, shots, turnovers or fouls stemming from Gilgeous-Alexander-related pick-and-rolls, which rank first among 103 players to utilize at least 500 such actions. SGA is blitzed around 7% of the time, which is league average in terms of frequency, but drops Oklahoma City’s efficiency to 1.032 points per chance, which would rank 29th — in line with teammate Ajay Mitchell’s production. The Lakers’ defense momentarily transforming Gilgeous-Alexander to Mitchell is a win, regardless of time or score (even though the latter is a good player). 

Marcus Smart, who’s unsurprisingly been handed the Gilgeous-Alexander assignment, hounds him up the floor, quickly moving his arms and feet to keep SGA from establishing any sort of flow. As Dort steps up to dislodge Smart, Redick can be heard screaming from the touchline, “Hedge! Hedge! Hedge!” urging reserve center Jaxson Hayes to cover the space, and the big smartly uses his upper body strength and underrated lateral quickness to keep pace with Gilgeous-Alexander until the guard throws another ball away. 

“We’re definitely going to give him different looks,” Smart said. “He’s the MVP and defending champ. He’s seen it all and that’s what makes him great, his ability to play through things that other players couldn’t and make tough buckets. You can’t give him a steady diet of one thing, so we’re going to throw some things at him. Just gotta stay within the gameplan.”

Principle 3: Traps

Similar to the Lakers’ first-round success against Houston — particularly in Game 2, the lone game Kevin Durant was present — when heliocentric players positioned themselves poorly (30-plus feet from the basket), Los Angeles is exceptional at covering space quickly, reducing the surface area and forcing quick and often bad decisions. Jaylen Williams is neither in a position to receive a pass nor spaced properly, and when the Lakers send two to trap, another turnover occurs. 

Principle 4: Random pressure

This is purely down to the IQ of LeBron James, a Lakers defensive transitional unit that has yielded a ton of success in the postseason and pressure. Pay attention to James as he sprints back after a missed Smart 3. He’s already committed to attacking SGA once he crosses halfcourt, but motions for Rui Hachimura to watch Wallace while he changes direction. Gilgeous-Alexander notices too late and tries to find Williams, who’s not on the same page. 

“It’s not gonna be perfect, but you just try to stick to the plan the coaches and guys went through to prepare for Game 1 and this series,” Smart added. “Shai’s gonna find a way to get more involved but continue to stay aggressive on both ends. Just gotta stay with it no matter what.”

Angels’ Mike Trout floated as option for California team in deal that makes no sense originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Around Major League Baseball, there haven't been many more important stories than Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels figuring things out at a very high level. 

There should have been no question about Trout doing so, as he's proven throughout his entire career that when he's on the field, he's one of the best players we've ever seen.

It's unfortunate that people don't remember what Trout did when he was younger and always on the field, as there was a strong argument to be made that he was the greatest baseball player we've ever seen. 

Obviously, things are different now because of those injuries and him getting older, but that doesn't mean that teams around the league won't still try to trade for him if the Angels move on from him, which was recently proposed by The Athletic. One of the teams that was linked to him was the San Francisco Giants, who have been very disappointing to start the year.

“The Giants showed last year they weren’t afraid to take on a big contract when they sent four players to the Red Sox for Devers, who is now part of their DH problem. They’ve gotten some production from Casey Schmitt, a good defensive third baseman who has power but doesn’t walk and chases too often to see him as a long-term regular at an offensive position. It does seem like throwing good money after bad to go acquire another big-contract DH, though,” Keith Law of The Athletic wrote.

It almost feels safe to say that if the Angels move on from Trout, they look to send him somewhere he wants to play. If he wants to play in San Francisco, it would make sense if both sides could figure something out.

More MLB news:

• Red Sox’s trade of Rafael Devers actually looks genius, and this one stat proves why
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• Ridiculous stat shows why Yankees haven’t called up Spencer Jones to MLB
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Shortly before the final whistle, tempers flared once again in the Champions League semi-final between Arsenal and Atlético. While the Arsenal bench was calling for the whistle, Diego Simeone became furious and ran toward his former boss Andrea Berta. 

As the Arsenal chief was gesturing emphatically for the game to be ended, he was shoved by the Atlético coach. The two then had to be pulled apart. 

Several Arsenal and Atlético officials, together with the fourth official, Tobias Stieler, tried to calm the situation down. Simeone was shown a yellow card for it. 

Berta has been Arsenal’s sporting director for a year and previously worked with Simeone at Atlético for more than ten years. The Italian was first technical director from 2013 to 2017, then sporting director of the Rojiblancos for eight years. Over time, the two had maintained a friendly relationship. 

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

Borussia Dortmund have finalized the signing of Liam Claude Kanté, according to local and often reliable source Ruhr Nachrichten.

The talented central defender looks set to move from Croatian club NK Lokomotiva Zagreb to Strobelallee this summer.

In Dortmund, Kanté will initially be introduced to his new environment via the U-19 team, but the Croatian U-15 international is highly rated.

Kanté, still only a 15-year-old is considered capable of making the jump to the professional ranks in the long term.

In the race to sign the defensive talent, Borussia Dortmund prevailed against renowned competition in the Bundesliga and abroad. 

Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, TSG Hoffenheim, and some unnamed clubs from Italy were also believed to be courting him.

Kanté's decision to join the Black and Yellows is said to linked to the career plan presented to him by the club's management. 

Bryson DeChambeau says he will focus on growing his YouTube channel and only "play tournaments that want me" if LIV Golf does not survive.

The future of the breakaway series was plunged into doubt when Saudi Arabia announced it will withdraw its multibillion dollar backing at the end of the year.

American DeChambeau, 32, last week dismissed reports he is looking to leave LIV before the end of the year as "completely untrue".

"I think, from my perspective, I'd love to grow my YouTube channel three times, maybe even more," DeChambeau told ESPN before for this week's LIV tournament at Trump National Golf Club.

"I would love to. I'd love to do a bunch of dubbing in different languages, giving the world more reason to watch YouTube.

"And then I'd love to play tournaments that want me."

DeChambeau's LIV contract is up at the end of this season and he was looking to sign a lucrative new deal before Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced it was set to pull its financial support, with reports suggesting he wants $500m (£370m) to stay.

The two-time US Open winner said he was "completely shocked" by the PIF announcement as he believed it would finance LIV Golf until 2032.

"I haven't had any communication. And unfortunately, things are moving on in a different direction. Obviously, they wanted to move on," he said on Tuesday.

LIV Golf, which caused a major split in 2022 when it started luring star names away from the PGA Tour with the offer of huge pay increases, is now searching to find replacement financial investment under a new independent board.

DeChambeau, who joined LIV in 2022, turned down the chance to return to the PGA Tour earlier this year under a returning member programme.

"The egos need to get dropped," DeChambeau said.

"Everybody needs to come in with a level-headed playing field, with an opportunistic mindset to grow the game of golf.

"That's why I came over here. That's why I do what I do on YouTube."

Barcelona are already planning for life after Robert Lewandowski, and it appears the club has now identified one of its preferred candidates to eventually take over the striker position at Spotify Camp Nou. 

Reports coming out of SPORT suggest that Barcelona are seriously considering a move for Joao Pedro as the club prepares for a long-term transition in attack.

The Brazilian forward, currently playing for Chelsea, has emerged as one of the two leading names on Barcelona’s shortlist alongside Julian Alvarez. 

This development comes in the wake of Barcelona’s need to replace an ageing Lewandowski, whose contract expires at the end of the season.

Despite Chelsea enduring a difficult and inconsistent period, Joao Pedro has continued to stand out with his performances. 

Since arriving at the London club, the Brazilian has developed into a versatile attacker capable of playing centrally while also contributing creatively around the box. 

There have been contacts

As reported before, Deco has been following the player closely for quite some time. 

The former Barcelona midfielder has watched the Brazilian live on several occasions during visits to England and believes the forward has the profile needed to succeed under Hansi Flick. 

Barcelona are interested in Joao Pedro. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Beyond the sporting aspect, Barcelona also see strong commercial potential in the Brazilian, something they believe could further increase his value at the club.

As per the outlet, contact has already taken place between Barcelona and the player’s representatives. 

In fact, discussions have been ongoing over the past few weeks as the Catalan side explores whether a future operation could become financially possible.

What about the price?

One factor working in Joao Pedro’s favour is his expected price tag compared to Julian Alvarez. 

While Atlético Madrid would reportedly demand an enormous fee to even consider selling the Argentine striker, the Chelsea forward could become available for a lower amount, although the PL side would still seek a major transfer fee believed to be between €80 million and €100 million.

Barcelona’s financial situation means the club must be extremely careful with every major signing, but the intention to secure a long-term replacement for Lewandowski is becoming increasingly clear through these developments.

*Note: Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on the date of publication

Despite the growing uncertainty surrounding Vinicius Jr. and his contract situation, the possibility of Real Madrid selling the Brazilian superstar anytime soon still appears remote.

Fresh reports Ramon Alvarez de Mon suggest that although negotiations over a renewal are not progressing smoothly, those close to the situation believe a transfer in 2026 remains highly unlikely. 

The main reasons are both financial and sporting, as Real Madrid would struggle not only to negotiate a deal of such enormous value but also to find a player capable of replacing Vinicius’ impact on the pitch.

An important player for Real Madrid

The Brazilian forward has become one of the most decisive players in world football over the past few seasons. 

Hence, losing a player of that stature would create a massive gap in the squad, especially considering how difficult top attacking players are to find in the current market.

However, the contract issue continues to pose a big problem for the club.

The biggest concern for Real Madrid is that if Vinicius enters January 2027 without signing a new deal, he would officially move into the final six months of his contract. 

At that point, FIFA regulations would allow him to negotiate freely with any other club without Madrid having control over the situation.

Vinicius Jr. will not leave in the summer. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

That situation would represent a scenario Real Madrid have rarely experienced with a player of such importance and global value. 

The idea of one of the club’s biggest stars potentially walking away for free is viewed as an extremely dangerous situation.

So what now?

Even so, people close to the player insist that Vinicius still wants to remain at the Santiago Bernabeu for the long term. 

His commitment to the club has not changed, and there is currently no indication from his side that he is actively seeking an exit.

The only problem remains the overall economic package required to complete a renewal.

Any club interested in signing Vinicius would need to pay not only a gigantic transfer fee but also meet enormous salary demands. 

That financial reality alone makes a transfer incredibly difficult to execute, even for Europe’s wealthiest sides.

Manchester United ditched a 3-4-2-1 system with three centre-backs following the departure of Ruben Amorim at the turn of the year.

This development initially shifted United’s focus from targeting more central defenders to full-backs, as Michael Carrick re-introduced the 4-2-3-1 system at Old Trafford.

However, INEOS may be forced to address both areas, with the club’s recruitment team considering bringing in another defender.

Manchester United eyeing Abubacarr Sedi Kinteh

According to journalist Paddy Keogh, a move for a centre-back was not an option until April, as Manchester United felt comfortable with having Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, Lisandro Martinez, and Matthijs de Ligt at their disposal.

However, injury worries over Martinez and De Ligt have changed United’s stance. The Argentina international has made just 10 starts this term, and the Dutchman last played for the Red Devils in November. He is not expected to feature again this campaign.

The Premier League giants have extended Harry Maguire‘s contract after nearly letting him leave and are now looking to bulk up their options without making a considerable investment.

It is claimed United are closely watching Tromsø prodigy Abubacarr Sedi Kinteh, who “could be a cheap high-upside” defensive addition this summer.

The 19-year-old Gambian is thought to be valued at £4.3m and is also being chased by Chelsea, AC Milan and RB Leipzig after impressing with his consistent performances in Norway.

Abubacarr Sedi Kinteh is frighteningly quick

The 6’1″ tall defender is a unicorn profile of sorts, boasting a massive frame and lightning pace, having clocked a top speed of over 37 km/h this season. At United, Bryan Mbeumo is currently the fastest player with an electric top speed of 36.4km/h.

The figure also makes Sedi Kinteh as quick as Tottenham Hotspur’s “speed machine” Micky van de Ven.

Interestingly, Keogh adds that United are also extensively monitoring Van de Ven, Toulouse star Charlie Cresswell, SC Braga’s Bright Arrey-Mbi, and Sporting CP sensation Ousmane Diomande.

Sedi Kinteh is not the most exciting name on the list, but his price tag and profile certainly make him a very appealing target.

Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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After admirably digging in, Arsenal now rise to the greatest stage. A season that has been characterised by such angst and toil may yet finish with jubilation and ascension – twice over.

You could see from the final whistle this meant everything, as players punched the air in joy. The Premier League trophy and European Cup are both now within touching distance.

Even a long-awaited return to a Champions League final – just the second in their history, and first since 2006 – represents an immense achievement. Few expected this when Mikel Arteta took over a basketcase club in December 2019, or even a few seasons into his tenure. He has restored a seriousness to the club and returned them to the elite.

This is what they dreamed of. Budapest now offers the opportunity for the Basque to become the first manager to bring the Champions League back to Arsenal. And what might the joy of this do for their title challenge? Remarkably, this was a night to forget about that. It was all about what happened here.

Duly, this semi-final win over Atletico Madrid – 1-0 on the night, 2-1 on aggregate – was almost characteristic of the entire season so far. Arsenal had to fight. It was painfully tense, with the lead so exactingly narrow.

And yet they persevered. They kept going, despite the usual doubts.

They had a lot of luck, especially with two penalty decisions, sure, but Arteta would say they deserved some; that it was just that same luck coming back around.

Almost fittingly for the occasion, the key players were all those who have endured adversity this season. Bukayo Saka, injured for so long that Arsenal’s attack lost spark and debate grew over whether he would ever evolve into the player that consistently delivers at this level, got the goal that mattered. Viktor Gyokeres, so often maligned as a signing they shouldn’t have made, set that goal up. Teenage prodigy Myles Lewis-Skelly, discarded for long period to the point of talk over whether he would be sold, offered the energy they had also been missing for long periods.

And they really did need it against a side that battles like Atletico.

As ugly as this game often was – almost typified by Gabriel headers – it was hard not to feel some of the emotion and romance from it all.

On the other side, Diego Simeone doesn’t get that Champions League moment this season. The great Antoine Griezmann will never get it, this defeat being his last match in the competition. As supreme as he is in individual moments, you could see why. He couldn’t sustain it. Neither could Atletico. Once he was taken off, they had little. One snatched Alexander Sorloth chance wasn’t enough.

But that shouldn’t be confused with a lack of tension, a lack of suspense.

This was a heavy match, requiring muscle.

Gyokeres provided it. The striker has often received warranted criticism for his struggles in holding the ball up, but here he was hunting for it, whole holding Atletico defenders off. Gyokeres made himself a nuisance.

Arsenal’s breakthrough came from that persistence. Gyokeres had chased what seemed a lost cause to get free down the right and suddenly open up a lot of space in the Atletico area. From limited options, he picked the right one – arching the ball over to Leandro Trossard, whose angled strike was well saved by Jan Oblak.

Saka, however, had already made his move. Since his return, the winger has rightly attracted a lot of praise for the extra dimension he gives Arsenal through cutting in from the right, making it all the more remarkable that Atletico didn’t seem to notice.

So, there he was, in between two defenders to just tap in.

It can’t quite be Gyokeres 2025/26 without some caveat; he should really have made the game safe on 65 minutes, when substitute Piero Hincapie swept over the most inviting cross on the counter.

Instead, with no one else around him and only Oblak to beat, Gyokeres got the bounce wrong and sent it over. That would have been too easy, after all. It wouldn’t have fit this match.

It has been said before that, in contrast to the expansiveness of Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern Munich, this was going to be a semi-final played in the margins. And not just in the margins, but right into each other.

There was one moment when Griezmann and Robin Le Normand vigorously celebrated the award of a goal kick, rather than a corner.

It was obviously always going to be that kind of game, ensuring that many of the key moments came down to interpretations of contact.

Arsenal could add to their list of grievances from the first leg, as Trossard seemed to be bundled by Griezmann.

This one didn’t feel as strong as some of Atletico’s claims, mind.

The biggest was when Giuliano Simeone appeared set to capitalise on a Declan Rice error, only to be denied by Gabriel. Or was it Gabriel? The replays didn’t seem to show the defender actually making contact with the ball as he jostled with Simeone until both lost their balance. A corner was given, but it felt like it should have been a penalty.

Minutes later, in the midst of Atletico’s best spell of pressure, Griezmann went down under a challenge from Riccardo Calafiori only for the referee to immediately signal a free-kick the other way for a Marc Pubill foul.

Simeone was livid. Arsenal responded with the same energy. They won the fight. They won the game. They now have a chance of winning everything that matters.

Liverpool have been tipped to sign an experienced centre-back in the summer transfer window.

Richard Hughes has taken steps to shore up the position long into the future - through the signings of Giovanni Leoni, Jeremy Jacquet and Mor Talla Ndiaye.

But given their age and relative lack of top-flight action there would be a risk attached to throwing those three in at the deep end.

There are question marks in the short term against most - if not all - of Liverpool’s senior centre-back options and that makes it imperative to secure the position.

Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are out of contract in 2027 and it would be no surprise to see the Premier League champions entertain bids for the 28-year-old Englishman this summer.

More alarmingly Ibrahima Konate still hasn’t signed his new deal - despite claiming a couple of weeks ago that it was all but done.

Arne Slot wants Sam Beukema

Accordingly the likes of Micky van de Ven and Goncalo Inacio have been linked with a transfer to Merseyside. But one long-term Arne Slot favourite is beginning to emerge on the radar.

Sam Beukema, 27, was wanted by Slot when he was head coach of Feyenoord and the defender was starring for Go Ahead Eagles.

Slot missed out on a deal for his compatriot - who has since carved out a career for himself in Serie A. Beukema was picked up by Bologna from AZ back in 2023 before moving to Napoli last summer.

It hasn’t been the move that the 2024/25 Coppa Italia winner had been hoping for however with the outgoing Serie A champions now willing to cash in.

If 2026 has proved anything, it’s that the Premier League is an unforgiving place even for some of its biggest clubs. 

Chelsea are well versed in this fact, having been dealt their sixth consecutive top-flight defeat on Monday when a second string Nottingham Forest side crushed them 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.

That has taken the Blues to eight defeats since January, which is an awful lot in the span of just four months. But how does their record in the calendar year compare to the league’s biggest strugglers over that period?

The teams with the most Premier League defeats in 2026:

=4. Chelsea – 8

So Chelsea have not been the worst team in the Premier League this year, but they haven’t been far off it either. Their form since the New year would leave them sixth from bottom in the table, having won five, drawn three and lost eight of their matches.

They’ve scored 22 goals (and conceded 27) in that time, but only one of those goals has come in their last six outings, which was Joao Pedro’s acrobatic consolation against Forest this week.

Oddly, while things have been falling apart in the league, they reached the FA Cup final. Swings and roundabouts.

Read – Joao Pedro matches Hasselbaink and Costa feat for Chelsea

=4. Sunderland – 8

It’s not at all surprising that, after making such a strong start, Sunderland’s form has tailed off since the midway point of the campaign. With safety secured, they can afford to drop a few points here and there.

=2. Newcastle United – 9

It’s been a pretty disappointing campaign overall for Newcastle, but the past few months have been brutal for the Magpies. Four consecutive defeats from the end of March into April effectively killed any chance of qualifying for Europe next season and they might not even finish in the top half.

Eddie Howe’s men are still capable of getting themselves up for big matches, exemplified by Saturday’s 3-1 win over Brighton. They’ve beaten Manchester United and Chelsea, and drawn with Barcelona this year, but they severely lack consistency.

Read – Most goals scored by teenagers in a debut Premier League season

=2. Tottenham Hotspur – 9

Not exactly a shock to see this iteration of Spurs here, is it? But it is genuinely astounding how poor they have been this year.

It took Tottenham almost four full months to win their first game of 2026 in domestic competition, plunging them deep into the relegation battle. Roberto De Zerbi may have arrived in the nick of time, though; they are unbeaten in three, picking up seven points to take them out of the dropzone.

1. Burnley – 10

Remarkably, Wolves do not feature on this list. Unremarkably, Burnley are bottom. The Clarets have been dire all season long, which was pretty predictable given the lack of talent or investment in the squad.

After starting 2026 with just one defeat in four, they have lost all but three of the following 12 league matches. Their last win came against Crystal Palace in February, which was followed up by a shock defeat to Mansfield in the FA Cup just three days later.

Read – Iraola overlooked for dream job amid Premier League links

See Also – Premier League clubs with most away points in 2025/26

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West Ham United forward Crysencio Summerville is a target for leading Premier League clubs this summer, according to The Telegraph.

The Hammers expect to profit on the £25 million they paid to sign him when he joined the club two years ago.

West Ham would ideally love to keep the ‘fantastic’ Summerville, but if they go down, they may not be able to hold on to their best players.

Players like Summerville and Mateus Fernandes are already attracting keen interest, and more West Ham players will be targeted.

Summerville has bagged seven goals and four assists in 31 appearances this season, bouncing back phenomenally from an injury-riddled debut campaign.

He has been one of the few shining spots in what has been a very drab season at the London Stadium, and the interest in his services is unsurprising.

The Dutch youth international will be hot property as he is classed as home-grown after starting in Leeds United’s academy.

Squads are limited in the number of non-home-grown players they can register, meaning clubs will increasingly be searching for home-grown players.

West Ham should consider Wilfried Gnonto to replace Summerville if they go down

If West Ham do suffer relegation, they may have to revisit Elland Road for reinforcements once again to replace Summerville. Wilfried Gnonto is the perfect replacement.

The Italian attacker has struggled for consistent game time this season after Noah Okafor moved ahead of him in the pecking order, but his quality remains unquestionable.

Gnonto was a major part of Leeds’ promotion push last term, registering nine goals and six assists in 43 appearances as they climbed back into the Premier League.

At the Championship level, his explosiveness, direct dribbling, and ability to decide games in transition could make him a devastating weapon for West Ham.

If the Hammers are forced into a rebuild, targeting hungry, proven EFL performers like Gnonto may offer the quickest route back to the top flight.

• Arsenal, Chelsea & Barcelona had scouts in attendance for Ajax’s 2-2 draw vs PSV on Saturday
• Europe’s best sides interested in Ajax forward Mika Godts, including Man City & Bayern Munich
• Godts has scored 17 times this season, provided 14 assists in 40 games in all competitions

Manchester City are among a long list of clubs tracking Ajax winger Mika Godts ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports from the Netherlands. 

Godts is enjoying a superb campaign in the Eredivisie, having found the net 17 times while garnering 14 assists in 40 appearances across all competitions for John Heitinga’s side, most recently scoring in a 2-2 draw with PSV on Saturday.

The talented left-winger has proven himself to be a consistent performer in the Dutch top-flight and has a contract running until the summer of 2029, making his potential exit a costly one.

FC Koln considering €8M permanent deal for Manchester City’s Jahmai Simpson-Pusey

What is Mika Godts like as a player?

Only time will tell whether can replicate his rising form in the Premier League but the 20-year-old certainly shows the strengths that come with being a positive and influential player. 

Not only is he a good dribbler with the ball, Godts can also make driving runs out wide with too. He can shoot from range or exploit defences in tight areas while possessing the vision to create wherever. 

So eye-catching is his talent that, according to Voetbal Primeur journalist Lentin Goodijk, Pep Guardiola’s side are among the clubs hoping to land the wonderboy in the summer transfer window.

Which clubs are interested in Mika Godts?

In addition to the interest from the Etihad Stadium, Arsenal, Chelsea and ManchesterUnited are other Premier League sides keeping their eyes peeled on the winger’s situation and some have sent scouts in recent weeks to monitor his performances in the Netherlands.

Godts has the option to explore various moves across Europe, with Barcelona also deploying scouts and BayernMunich retaining strong interest to keep the chase for his signature competitive.

With three years remaining on his current deal at the Johan Cruijff Arena, it will certainly be tough for HugoViana, City’s sporting director, to snap up a cheap deal for the forward – despite the Portuguese executive’s impressive track record of bringing bargained stars to the EtihadStadium since replacing long-serving official Txiki Begiristain last summer.

Manchester United accept defeat in Elliot Anderson chase as Manchester City plan £100M transfer talks

How would Mika Godts fit into Man City?

Most notably was Viana’s ability to lure AntoineSemenyo to east Manchester in the January transfer window before signing MarcGuehi for just £20 million to help with Guardiola’s title charge. 

Godts’s potential inclusion into City’s frontline would improve Guardiola’s options in the longer run – given he already has the ability to get into most Premier League starting squads. 

Whether he could cope with the league’s physical demands is yet to be seen but Guardiola already has a wide portfolio to show how he has turned the likes of KevinDeBruyne, RiyadMahrez and RayanCherki into one of the world’s very best.

Should the Washington Commanders kick the tires on another receiver other than Brandon Aiyuk?

Since the 2025 season concluded, every couple of days, the San Francisco 49ers receiver has been the subject of much interest among the Commanders' fan base. With Washington GM Adam Peters not legally permitted to discuss another player under contract with another team, there is no way to discern how interested Peters is in Aiyuk.

If Peters determines he is not interested in Aiyuk, might Peters be interested in Stefon Diggs? Diggs is a local product, having played at Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, MD), later becoming a Maryland Terrapin. Diggs is out there, an unrestricted free agent.

Stefon Diggs appreciation post. pic.twitter.com/PxyZ5XVVbs

— Foxboro Forever (@_FoxboroForever) May 5, 2026

The Commanders don't know if Aiyuk is healthy and recovered. How could they know? They can't legally work out Aiyuk. In addition, Aiyuk has not played an NFL game since the 49ers seventh game in the 2024 season. Thus, the last 17 regular season games the 49ers have played, Aiyuk has not been in uniform.

On the other hand, Diggs played in all 17 games last season, catching 85 receptions for the AFC Champion, New England Patriots. Having such a great and productive season, the question is, why, then, haven't the Pats re-signed Diggs to a contract?

Diggs has played in all 17 games in three of the last five seasons, and in 2022, he missed only one game. He has been durable and productive. In 2020, Diggs produced a huge season, collecting 127 receptions for 1,535 yards, leading the NFL in both categories. Paired with QB Kirk Cousins in 2019, Diggs averaged an impressive 17.9 yards per reception on his 63 catches.

But there is another side to the coin with Diggs. He will turn 33 in November. Secondly, why has Diggs already played on four other NFL teams? He was with the Vikings (2015-19), Bills (2020-23), Texans (2024) and Patriots (2025). Why have his last two teams (Texans and Patriots) both let him go to free agency? Why did the Vikings trade Diggs following the season, when he averaged 17.9 yards per reception? Why did the Bills trade Diggs to the Texans?

Though Diggs has been paired with effective quarterbacks in Cousins, Josh Allen, C.J. Stroud, and Drake Maye. The Bills signed Diggs to a four-year contract in 2022, but after only two seasons, they traded him. The Patriots signed Diggs to a three-year deal, and though he had 85 receptions in 2025, he was released after only one season in New England.

There was a civil lawsuit where a former girlfriend, Mulan Hernandez, accused Diggs of physical abuse. Hernandez's lawsuit was filed two months after Diggs filed a separate lawsuit, which accused her of extortion. In an additional case, on Tuesday, Diggs was found not guilty in a case where he was accused of strangulation and assault and battery stemming from a pay dispute with his personal chef on December 2, 2025.

Perhaps, these are enough red flags to discourage Peters from signing Diggs, even for a single season?

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Is WR Stefon Diggs now a legit option?

Suddenly, the Cleveland Guardians may have a starting pitching depth problem.

The Guardians are widely respected for their starting pitching development.

It’s no secret that the Guardians have developed some outstanding starters in recent years.

One must ask what happens this year if one of the Cleveland starting pitchers is injured, or is so ineffective, he must be replaced

The minor league pitching development program doesn’t have major league starting pitching depth waiting in the wings for 2026.

Yes, there is starting pitching on the horizon, but the cupboard is fairly bare at this point in the season.

Starting pitchers C.C. Sabathia, Corey Kluber, and Shane Bieber, all refined their pitching brilliance in the Guardians player development program.

Sabathia was a 1st round Cleveland draft pick in 1998. He won a Cy Young Award in 2007, and is in the Hall of Fame. Wearing a New York Yankees cap, one might add.

Kluber was drafted in the 4th round by the San Diego in 2007, traded to Cleveland, and won two Cy Young Awards with the (then) Cleveland Indians.

Bieber was a 4th round Cleveland draft pick in 2016, and won a Cy Young Award in the shortened 2020 season. He is injured now, and is on the Toronto roster.

This season, the Guardians are hoping right-handers Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibbe can come close to the dominance the trio above offered the Cleveland franchise.

Both Williams and Bibee have had great moments on the mound. But both have struggled with command and control consistency.

Perhaps the most promising and reliable of the current Cleveland rotation is left-hander, Parker Messick.

Messick is still a rookie, having thrown only 39.2 innings last year. But those innings were a harbinger of great things to come.

Messick throws strikes. He can’t be rattled on the mound. He has a deceptive repertoire, and a savvy pitching demeanor.

This old scout believes Messick will join Sabathia, Kluber, and Bieber as a Cy Young Award winner at some point in his career.

The Guardians also have lefty Joey Cantillo, and right-hander Slade Cecconi in the rotation.

Each has had solid outings. Each has had some clunkers.

Cleveland Guardians Triple-A Columbus Starters:

If Cleveland needs a starting pitcher replacement, the most logical source would be the Triple-A Columbus Clippers affiliate.

milb.com lists the Clippers rotation to include Logan Allen, Pedro Avila, Trenton Denholm, Rorik Maltrud, and Ryan Webb.

Allen had opportunities with the parent Guardians and couldn’t win a role in the starting rotation. He isn’t faring very well at Columbus, either. But he is the most advanced of the major league ready starting pitchers.

A veteran pitcher, Pedro Avila has pitched in relief for Cleveland. He is now converting to being a starter.

Trenton Denholm has never pitched for Cleveland at the big league level. He is unranked by mlbpipeline.com in their list of the Top 30 Cleveland prospects.

Rorik Maltrud has not pitched for the parent Guardians. He is unranked by mlbpipeline.com.

Ryan Webb has not pitched for the Guardians. Like Denholm, and Maltrud, Webb is unranked in the mlbpipeline.comtop 30 Cleveland prospects.

In fact, the highest ranked pitcher in the Guardians organization is right-hander, Khal Stephen.

Stephen, 23, came to the Guardians in a trade with Toronto for Cy Young Winner, Shane Bieber.

The problem? Stephen is pitching at Double-A Akron. He has not yet reached Triple-A. One would think that will happen soon, as Stephen may be the best starting pitcher in waiting for the Cleveland franchise.

Here is the website off the Double-A Akron Rubberducks-milb.com

Veteran left-handed pitcher Kolby Allard has now been signed, designated for assignment, and signed again so many times, he probably has taken up residence somewhere in Ohio.

Allard was signed as a free agent by Cleveland in February 2025. He was released in July.

Allard was signed back by Cleveland in July 2025 after he cleared waivers.

After his contract expired, Cleveland signed Allard again in February 2026.

Allard was released on April 16, 2026.

Allard signed back with Cleveland on April 17, 2026, and is now assigned to Triple-A Columbus, where he is on the Injured List.

Allard, if and when he is healthy, could be a starting pitching option at the big league level.

Should Cleveland Guardians Use Openers?

While there don’t seem to be many major league ready options for the parent Guardians at the Triple-A level, perhaps the team could bridge a starting pitcher need with “openers.”

The Tampa Bay Rays popularized using a long-reliever to start some games when the need would arise.

The “opener” would give way to another reliever, moving the chain along in the bullpen for the entire game.

It is far from ideal, and to this old scout, not a good strategy.

However, barring a trade for a pitcher, the Cleveland Guardians certainly don’t have the starting pitching depth they have been accustomed to in the recent past.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

Good morning everyone- fitzie is BACK! Before we get into the hoddle proper, I’d like to thank Menno and Matty for steering the ship in my absence. I’ll get round to updating the Track of the Day playlist soon.

——

We return to the hoddle proper with an old favourite – Trending Up / Trending Down, where your hoddler-in-chief takes a look at all things Tottenham and who (or what) is Trending Up, and what’s Trending Down. Without furher ado, let’s get started:

Trending Up:

• Antonin Kinksy: I’m pretty sure it was only a few months ago where Kinsky featured in the “Trending Down” portion of this feature after his horrendous showing against Atletico Madrid. At the time I thought he played his last game for Spurs. I was wrong, and he’s done very well since filling in for Guglielmo Vicario.
• Connor Gallagher: I still think his contract is ridiculous, but he’s been showing some improved performances since Roberto de Zerbi came to town (even though the sample size is still small). He cemented his place in Trending Up after scoring the first goal for Spurs this past weekend.
• Kevin Danso: Danso’s been a reliable centerback since coming in these last few weeks. I don’t miss Cristian Romero as I thought I would, and I think that is mostly due to the solid if unspectacular displays we’re seeing from Big K.
• Roberto De Zerbi: He’s done what Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor both failed to do in 2026 – get a Spurs win. They’ve now won two straight (and claimed six points of their last seven). It’s a huge boost for the club right before three crucial games. Can he get them over the line?

Trending Down:

• Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke: These two players have the misfortune of joining this list after their most recent injuries. Simons is done for the season. Solanke looks likely to miss the remaining games as well, but we’ll find out more this week.
• Players to fill the bench: And because of that, there are fewer and fewer players to sit on the Tottenham bench. The list has dwindled so much (and perhaps the “vibes” play into this also), that James Maddison, still injured, has been on bench duty to ostensibly help lift morale. It seems to be working though.
• Days until the end of the season: There are only three games to go. Spurs hold a one-point advantage over West Ham in the survival race. It’s kind of scary to think that we’ll learn Tottenham’s fate in no fewer than 18 days’ time. First is a huge match against a resurgent Leeds, then it’s a trip to Stamford Bridge (which I don’t think any of us are excited about). And, finally, the season closer at home against Everton.

Fitzie’s track of the day:SWEET LOVE, by Stephen Sanchez

And now for your links:

Jack P-B ($$): “Roberto De Zerbi deserves immense credit for removing Tottenham’s mental block”

Alasdair Gold: “Luka Vuskovic returns and Tottenham wonderkid wanted by Championship club”

BBC: “Everton fan arrested for alleged Semenyo racist abuse”

The Guardian: “David Squires on … an unexpected cameo amid all the Premier League drama”

The Telegraph: “Arsenal beat Atletico to reach their first Champions League final in 20 years”

Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna has confirmed the club will sign Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund this summer, per the Mirror. 

Hojlund joined the Serie A side on loan in the previous summer transfer window. 

He has impressed with his performances in Italy, scoring 14 goals and creating six assists in 41 appearances. 

Napoli will trigger the £38 million buy-out clause in his contract.   

The Denmark international has already agreed a new and improved long-term deal with the Blues. 

Hojlund began his career at HUI and Brondby before moving to fellow Danish outfit Copenhagen in 2020. 

His impressive performances for the Superliga club earned him a transfer to Sturm Graz, and then he moved to Atalanta for £14.6 million. 

United splashed £72m to secure Hojlund’s services in 2023, but he failed to make the desired impact in the Premier League. 

The Dane managed just 26 goals in 95 appearances across all competitions. 

United decided to cut their losses on the forward, allowing him to join Napoli on loan last summer. 

The Red Devils brought in Benjamin Sesko, who has hit the ground running at Old Trafford. 

Hojlund has also revived his career in Italy, playing a pivotal role to help his side do well this season. 

Napoli currently sit second in the Serie A table, and have won the Italian Super Cup by beating Bologna in the final. 

Stats from Transfermarkt

Coming back to the place where they won their first Champions League crown last season, PSG need no encouragement for taking on Bayern Munich today, said Luis Enrique. 

“We don't need any extra motivation, we're already at 100%. It brings back great memories when we go back to Munich; it will always be a real pleasure," he said at his press conference.

“We can remember last year, and if I go back even further, when I was the Barcelona coach, the year of our CL win, we played against Bayern in the semi-final, with the second leg in Munich. We went on to win the final.

“As a team, we have the same objective away from home as we do at home. We don't need to defend the result because the objective is to win,” he said.  

Regarding the pressure of the semi-final in Munich with only a goal between them, the PSG coach drew inspiration from compatriot and professional tennis star Rafael Nadal. 

“Both teams throughout the season, and in our case over the last two seasons, have shown their ability to handle difficult moments. We need to be more competitive than ever.

"When I see these kinds of matches, I remember Rafael Nadal saying that facing Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer was a motivation for him.

“He saw the potential to improve. We'll try to overcome the atmosphere [at the Allianz Arena] and a team that plays sensational football,” Enrique explained. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder proved too strong for the Los Angeles Lakers to take a 1-0 lead in the NBA's Conference semi-finals.

The defending champions are the Western Conference's top seed and made a strong start to the best-of-seven series with a 108-90 win at home on Tuesday.

The Thunder produced a balanced offensive performance while their defence restricted the Lakers to their lowest score in a play-off game since 2021.

LeBron James claimed a game-high 27 points for the Lakers while Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with 24 points and 12 rebounds.

The NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell added 18 points apiece for the hosts.

"You're playing the world champs, your margin for error in terms of mistakes is not that high," said Lakers head coach JJ Redick.

"[There were] just too many tonight. We've got to clean that up."

LA guard Luka Doncic remained out with a hamstring injury and could also miss game two on Thursday.

The Detroit Pistons drew first blood in their series with the Cleveland Cavaliers, holding off a late rally to claim a 111-101 home win.

Cade Cunningham scored 23 points for the Eastern Conference's top seed Detroit, with Tobias Harris adding 20.

Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs with 23 points while James Harden added 22 but had seven turnovers.

• Timberwolves draw first blood despite Wembanyama record

Contract talks between Vinicius Jr. and Real Madrid are facing a major obstacle as both parties continue to remain far apart financially. 

According to reports from Ramon Alvarez de Mon, negotiations between the two parties have slowed significantly because of the salary demands being requested by the Brazilian star’s camp. 

Vinicius’ representatives are pushing for a package worth close to €30 million net per season, while Real Madrid are currently unwilling to go beyond approximately €20 million net.

That gap is understood to be the central reason why no agreement has been reached yet.

Details of the matter

The situation is particularly delicate because Vinicius is one of the faces of the club, both on and off the pitch. 

The 25-year-old’s importance has only increased following the departures and ageing of several senior figures, and Madrid internally view him as one of the pillars of the next generation.

However, despite the player repeatedly expressing his desire to continue at the Santiago Bernabeu for many years, the financial side of the negotiations is creating growing uncertainty.

Still no development in Vinicius’ contract renewal. (Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images)

Real Madrid are also cautious about how they structure the new agreement. 

The club does not want to create a dangerous precedent by offering massive renewal bonuses or excessively inflated salaries that could later affect future negotiations with other stars in the dressing room. 

Maintaining wage balance is of extreme importance, especially with several young players expected to demand improved contracts in the near future.

Approaching final year

One particular scenario that worries Madrid is the possibility of the contract entering its final stages without an agreement. 

If Vinicius reaches January 2027 without renewing, he would legally be free to negotiate with any club as a free agent. 

For a player of his age, quality and commercial value, such a situation would be unprecedented for Real Madrid.

For now, both sides remain calm, but the longer negotiations continue without progress, the bigger this story could become inside the Spanish capital.

Barcelona are already preparing for a busy summer transfer window and strengthening the left wing appears to be one of the club’s biggest priorities ahead of next season. 

With the squad expected to undergo several changes, the Catalan giants are now keeping a close eye on multiple attacking profiles across Europe.

According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, the Blaugrana currently have six different names on their shortlist as they search for a winger capable of adding pace, creativity and goals from the left side of attack.

The impossible dreams

One of the most surprising names being linked with the club is Anthony Gordon of Newcastle United. 

The English winger has impressed with his intensity and direct style in the Premier League, qualities that Barça believe could suit Flick’s system. 

However, the biggest obstacle is the financial side of the operation, as Newcastle value the player at around €85 million, a figure that currently looks far beyond Barcelona’s comfort zone.

Another player attracting serious attention is Victor Munoz, who has emerged as one of the breakout stars in La Liga this season with Osasuna. 

Notably, Real Madrid still hold significant control over the player’s future after keeping 50 percent of his rights and also securing favourable buyback clauses. 

He has a release clause worth €40 million in his contract and if Barcelona decide to activate it, as much as €20 million would go to Real Madrid’s coffers.

Jan Virgili is still on Barcelona’s radar. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

That reality makes any potential Barça move extremely complicated politically and financially.

The more realistic options

Barcelona are also monitoring Jan Virgili, a former La Masia talent now developing at Mallorca. 

The Catalans previously sold part of his rights, meaning they would now need to negotiate a costly return if they decide to move seriously for him.

Meanwhile, Mika Godts of Ajax is quickly gaining admirers inside the club. 

Barcelona scouts reportedly watched him closely during Ajax’s recent clash against PSV, where the young winger delivered an impressive performance, scoring and assisting. 

His lower valuation compared to some of the other targets makes him an attractive option.

Two more names completing the shortlist are Andreas Schjelderup of SL Benfica and former Barcelona player Ez Abde, who has enjoyed an excellent spell at Real Betis. 

Barcelona still retain a percentage of Abde’s rights, something that could help lower the overall cost if the club decides to bring him back.

Arsenal claimed a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium to progress to the UEFA Champions League final.

The Gunners are on the verge of sealing a double after Mikel Arteta’s side found another gear to dispatch the Spanish side.

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice was the official man of the match, but he reserved praise for teammate Myles Lewis-Skelly, who was equally outstanding.

Rice said (via the BBC): “We have always known what Myles can do. I remember last year when he played so many games.

“Last year, when he stepped up, Real Madrid away at the Bernabeu at 18 – I thought: ‘Wow, what a player.’

“The manager has been tough on him behind the scenes. He has kept his head down, and he has worked so hard.

“He is in early, gym and works hard. To be thrown in at the deep end and perform how he did is no surprise to me.”

The Arsenal academy graduate won 3/3 aerial duels, made one key pass, and recorded two progressive carries.

Lewis-Skelly could help define Arsenal’s season. Arteta’s side looked strangely flat when Martin Zubimendi operated in midfield.

The Gunners lacked the intensity, drive, and verticality that have powered them through the campaign.

The decision to turn to Lewis-Skelly for the last two matches has completely changed the dynamic for Arsenal.

The teenager brings aggression without the ball, carries possession fearlessly through pressure, and injects energy into the midfield.

Yesterday, he played with the maturity of a seasoned international rather than a teenager experiencing the biggest nights of his career.

Arteta may have stumbled upon the perfect balance at exactly the right moment.

With the Premier League title race entering its decisive stage and a Champions League final now looming, Lewis-Skelly’s athleticism could become a major weapon.

On current evidence, he looks capable of helping drive Arsenal toward a historic double.

KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — The players struck their crutches against each other as they chased a soccer ball, as well as a larger dream of competing at the global level. Children shrieked in joy as they watched a goalie dive to block an attempt with her remaining hand.

Amputee football, a seven-a-side version of the game in which players roam the field on crutches and goalkeepers have one arm, has grown steadily in Rwanda over the past decade. Players say they have found a community on the field after embracing a sport some never imagined they could play. For many, it offers not only physical rehabilitation but also a sense of belonging.

In the capital Kigali, amputees play to foster healing and social cohesion after traumas that include the country's darkest period: the 1994 genocide, in which about 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were massacred by the majority Hutu population over a 100-day period.

Nyiraneza Solange was born two years after the genocide and lost her leg at the age of 5 after falling and developing an infection. She said the resilience shown by people who lost limbs during the genocide attracted her to amputee football.

She was encouraged by the former coach of the country's first amputee football team, who told her she could use her crutches to play. She quickly left any fear behind.

“I don’t even think about I don’t have a leg,” said Solange, explaining that she feels free while playing and has overcome the stigma that accompanies being an amputee.

Rwanda is estimated to have more than 3,000 lower-limb amputees. Some are victims of the genocide. Others are survivors of road accidents or illness.

Louise Kwizera, the vice president of the Rwanda Amputee Football Federation, said the sport enables players to learn to trust again, building unity in a society that “was once divided.”

“In communities affected by conflict or trauma, the playing field becomes a place of peace. People who may have different pasts come together as teammates,” Kwizera told The Associated Press.

Rwanda hopes to take part next year in the second women’s amputee football World Cup, an invitational event expected to be held in Poland or Brazil. Rwanda was represented by only a single player at the first edition of the competition in 2024.

The sport, governed by the World Amputee Football Federation, is played in more than 50 countries. Rwanda now has five women’s professional teams and 10 for men.

Haitian women’s amputee football team manager Fred Sorrels, who visited Rwanda to help develop the local program, said he was rooting for the East African country to host a World Cup. But the country's sports ministry said it has yet to make a formal bid.

Sorrels said he has seen the benefits of the sport.

“It’s a win psychologically and mentally for these ladies to have an opportunity to experience wholeness and wellness again,” he said.

Gilbert Muvunyi Manier, the Rwandan sports ministry's director general of sports development, called the sport a “powerful tool” for healing, reconciliation and social cohesion.

Players acknowledged limitations in strategy.

“It’s hard to save the ball when it goes to the side with the receding hand,” goalkeeper Nikuze Angelique said. Like Solange, she described a sense of community found on the field.

As players took selfies after a game, Angelique said she is hopeful they will reach the World Cup.

“It will be a dream come true,” she said.

___

For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Sanju Samson refuses to be 'selfish' for 100 vs DC: Why the CSK star chose Gautam Gambhir’s way over Virat Kohli’s record feat originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Sanju Samson finished unbeaten on 87, sacrificing a century to help CSK win.
• He followed Gautam Gambhir's "team over self" philosophy instilled in the Indian dressing room.
• CSK have now won five on the bounce, and are firmly back in playoff contention.

Sanju Samson puts team before milestone, passes up chance to match IPL century record

Sanju Samson scored a scintillating 87* off 52 balls against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday evening to steer Chennai Super Kings to an eight-wicket victory.

After driving and pulling his way to 66 from 36 balls, including a brutal 16 runs plundered off a single T Natarajan over in the 15th, he needed just 21 more runs to complete a third century of the season. 

Only three batters in IPL history have managed three or more hundreds in a single edition: Virat Kohli, who scored four in 2016; Jos Buttler, who matched that tally in 2022; and Shubman Gill, who reached three in 2023.

With Chennai needing only 18 runs to win, the target was reachable, and the record was staring Samson in the face.

Rather than nudging singles to retain the strike and inch towards three figures, he stepped aside and allowed young Kartik Sharma, who was timing the ball beautifully at the other end, to take the game home.

Sharma finished unbeaten on 41 off 31 and hit the winning boundary while Samson remained 87 not out off 52 balls, having struck six sixes and seven fours.

MORE: "BCCI mandate": Badani drops truth bomb on Delhi’s 'unpredictable' pitches

What did Sanju Samson say after the match?

When asked about the decision after the match, Samson was disarmingly candid. He admitted that the hundred was very much on his mind, but said pursuing it would have meant being selfish, and that was not something he was willing to be.

“Hundreds are always special,” Samson admitted. "Yeah, it was (on his desire to get the 100 against Delhi), but I felt I had to be a bit too selfish for that. So I thought, let’s win the game. The other partner was batting really well, and I didn’t want to tell him, ‘ek single de de yaar, main sau bana leta hoon’ [take a single, I’ll get my 100]. So I didn’t say that. I really enjoyed it, coming not out and finishing the game gives you better satisfaction."

MORE: Explained: Why RCB's M Chinnaswamy stadium could miss hosting IPL final

With momentum firmly behind them, Chennai face back-to-back fixtures against Lucknow Super Giants, at home on May 10 and then away on May 15, which could prove decisive in confirming their playoff spot.

Which batsman has the most centuries in a single IPL season?

The Cricket News Opinion: Samson shows class against DC

It was almost word-for-word the philosophy that India head coach Gautam Gambhir has championed publicly, placing collective outcomes above individual glory. Samson, though currently outside the national setup, has clearly internalised that thinking.

Statistics matter in cricket, but moments of selflessness matter more. Samson had every justification to farm the strike and chase that hundred — no one would have criticised him. The fact that he did not, and that he did not even seem conflicted about it, tells you something about where his game is right now. Chennai are better for having him, and Indian cricket will be better for recalling him.

To keep up to date with all the latest cricket news and share your opinion on the biggest topics visit our Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter) pages.

One strike away from defeat while facing the nation’s top-ranked college baseball team, Loyola Marymount deployed its only remaining weapon.

Sprinklers.

An accidental spray that resulted from a system malfunction was a novel idea Tuesday night but couldn’t dampen dominant UCLA.

After milling about for 30 seconds white waiting for the sprinklers to stop with two out and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth inning, Bruins reliever Justin Lee struck out the final batter on the next pitch.

That allowed UCLA to hold on for an 8-4 victory over the Lions at Page Stadium on a night that seven Bruins pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts and no walks.

UCLA coach John Savage said he was pleased that his team was able to continue developing players during its final midweek game of the regular season. Catcher Kasen Khansarinia, who did not start any of his team’s games last weekend, drove in two runs and had a solid game defensively. Second baseman Phoenix Call, who played in just one game last weekend, had two hits.

Several relievers who had not been used recently delivered solid outings against the Lions (12-38).

“It’s just about adding pieces to the team,” Savage said, “and making sure you have enough depth and inventory to go down the road.”

The only thing left to add to the arsenal of what might be the nation’s most complete team is an umbrella.

“I guess it’s a time thing,” Savage said of the unexpected shower. “The game was too long so the sprinklers said, ‘Hey, let’s go and get out of here.’ ”

What it means

Having become the first team in the country to win 40 games last week before they swept Michigan State, the Bruins kept their seasonlong momentum intact.

With six games left in the regular season, UCLA (44-4) has a chance to reach the 50-win threshold before the Big Ten Tournament.

Turning point

It felt like the game was over in the top of the first inning.

UCLA sent eight batters to the plate and scored three runs with the benefit of only two hits.

Two LMU pitchers walked two batters and hit a third, compounding their early struggles. It was no way to start an upset bid against a team as mighty as the Bruins.

Did you see that?

UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky made a couple of outstanding defensive plays, charging a slow roller in the first inning and ranging deep into the hole in the fifth.

MVP

UCLA freshman reliever Mack Edwards generated the biggest show of excitement from teammates when he pitched a perfect sixth inning.

After the left-hander struck out the final batter of the inning, his teammates surged out of the dugout to mob him in excitement.

Their enthusiasm was understandable. It was just Edwards’ second appearance of the season, and his first had not gone well — he gave up a run-scoring hit to the only batter he faced.

Edwards’ latest outing lowered his earned-run average from 99.00 to a considerably more agreeable 9.00.

“It was just fun to see a guy stay sharp who hasn’t been used,” Savage said. 

Injury updates

Savage said first baseman Mulivai Levu was sick but should return before the team’s next series.

Ace Logan Reddemann, who is battling arm fatigue, remains on track to throw his next pitch in the Big Ten Tournament, Savage said.

“We’re ramping him up and we’re looking forward to him being a contributor and being a big factor to this thing,” Savage said. “I mean, he’s one of the reasons we are in the position we are, so we need him for the postseason run for sure.”

Up next

The Bruins open their final home series of the regular season at 7 p.m. Friday when they host Oregon at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

The UFC 328 middleweight title fight between champion Khamzat Chimaev and former titleholder Sean Strickland has become one of the biggest grudge matches in the promotion's history.

The two used to train together but a dispute in the gym has festered into a full-blown rivalry. Their fight week interaction has been limited by the organization. They're staying in two different hotels and extra security has been added.

Strickland has accused "Borz" of seeking out lesser training partners in the gym and mercilessly dominating them to feed his ego. On Tuesday, Chimaev released footage of a sparring session with Strickland. He captioned the video, "I am bullying weak people."

I am bullying weak people 😂 pic.twitter.com/dVVM3wTxpg

— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) May 5, 2026

The video was only 26 seconds long. The two have very different recollections of how their training sessions went. They'll settle their differences inside the octagon at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday. It will be Chimaev's first title defense.

Emma Raducanu has been forced to withdraw from the Italian Open in the latest setback of a disrupted season.

Raducanu had been due to begin her campaign against either Solana Sierra or a qualifier later this week before a possible meeting with Coco Gauff in Rome, but has pulled out of the event citing post-viral illness.

The British No 1 has not played since Indian Wells in March due to the illness, while an injury to her hand was also a contributing factor in her decision to withdraw from the Mutua Madrid Open last week.

The 23-year-old is therefore yet to play a clay-court match this season, with the start of the French Open on 24 May ever nearer.

Raducanu reached the fourth round in Rome 12 months ago before suffering defeat to Gauff. Her absence is a blow given the strength of the field at the Italian Open, the last WTA 1000 event before Roland-Garros.

All of the WTA’s top 20 are due to compete as home favourite Jasmine Paolini defends her title. The American will face either Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva or Czech teenager Tereza Valentova in her opening match in Rome, with world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka potentially facing a tricky opener against Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open winner who is returning from injury.

In the men’s draw, British No 1 Cameron Norrie, who reached the Barcelona Open quarter-finals on clay, has a bye to the second round. Jack Draper is out for the remainder of the clay season as he continues to battle a series of injuries.

World No 1 Jannik Sinner is on a record run of five consecutive Masters 1000 titles and looking to make that six at his home Masters, while Novak Djokovic will be relieved he can only face the Italian in the final.

Sinner is aiming to replicate Djokovic’s achievement as the only man to complete the career Golden Masters - winning all nine titles at this level - with Rome the only one the 24-year-old has yet to claim.

Sinner is seeded to meet Jakub Mensik - one of the few players to beat him this year, in the Qatar Open quarter-finals - in the third round and rapidly rising Frenchman Arthur Fils, whom he defeated in the Madrid semi-finals, in the fourth.

Barcelona are in the market for a new striker and have eyes on Bournemouth star Eli Junior Kroupi, according to Sky Sports.

The France Under-21 international centre-forward has caught the eye this season, bagging 12 goals in his debut Premier League campaign.

Kroupi’s exploits have caught the attention of several clubs, with Manchester United, Manchester City, and Arsenal linked. Barcelona are the latest to show interest.

Barca are preparing to lose Robert Lewandowski this summer when his contract expires, and they need a replacement.

Barcelona’s first-choice target to fill the gap is Julian Alvarez, but securing his services might prove too expensive. Kroupi is a cheaper alternative.

However, Bournemouth are adamant that Kroupi is not for sale this summer, as they look to keep the talented young centre-forward.

There is no doubt Kroupi has the talent to reach the very top.

Still, Barcelona would be taking a huge gamble by placing the burden of replacing Lewandowski on the shoulders of a 19-year-old still learning the demands of elite football.

Lewandowski is not just any departing striker. He is one of the greatest goalscorers of his generation, a player who delivered time after time in front of goal for over a decade.

Barcelona cannot afford to downgrade experience and reliability for raw potential alone.

One strong campaign at Bournemouth is not enough evidence that Kroupi is ready to lead the line for a club where every match carries enormous pressure and scrutiny.

The jump is too big, too soon.

From the player’s perspective, the move also feels premature.

Bournemouth are giving him regular minutes, trust, and the perfect environment to develop without overwhelming expectations.

Another year or two refining his game in the Premier League would benefit him far more than rushing into a career-defining transfer before he is fully ready.

Chelsea have stepped up their long term interest in Club Brugge centre back Joel Ordonez according to reports.

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL CHELSEA NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON THE APP STORE

Having been quiet in January, the Blues are once again expected to be busy this summer with reinforcements required in a number of areas of the squad.

Chelsea are said to still be in the market for a centre back, whilst it’s believed they want to add another midfielder and attacker.

Chelsea step up interest in Joel Ordonez

The Blues have struggled defensively this season, and haven’t kept a clean sheet in the Premier League since January.

Chelsea were boosted by the return of Levi Colwill in Monday’s defeat to Nottingham Forest, as he made his first appearance since suffering an ACL injury.

The Blues desperately need to add at least one starting level quality centre back, and have been linked with both Murillo and Jan Paul van Hecke.

However, it appears there’s another name on their radar in Ordonez, and TEAMtalk have reported Chelsea have stepped up their interest in the Ecuadorian.

The report adds Chelsea sent scouts to watch the 22-year-old in action over the weekend, and have been impressed with his development.

TEAMtalk add Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Aston Villa have also shown interest, whilst the Ecuador international will cost around €40m.

Ordonez is under contract until 2029, and has made 42 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring four goals.

If you enjoy Chelsea News coverage and want to see more of it, add us as a preferred source on Google to make us a favourite and see more of our content.

In other news…

It’s been reported nothing is going on between Chelsea and Xavi Hernandez, despite suggestions the Blues had reached out to the Spaniard.

More Stories / Latest News

Report: Chelsea accelerate interest in €40m rated ace, sent scouts to watch last weekend

6th May 2026, 07:15am

John Obi Mikel calls Chelsea out for their most ignorant mistake out of many mistakes so far

6th May 2026, 07:00am

“Would send a bad message” – Fabrizio Romano provides update on future of €69m Chelsea ace

6th May 2026, 06:45am

Chelsea are still in the process of deciding who their new head coach will be after sacking Liam Rosenior last month.

Andoni Iraola, Marco Silva and Xabi Alonso are three names said to feature highly in their thinking at this point in time.

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

OKLAHOMA CITY––Before 18,000 souls rose as one, before the energy of a blue-and-orange crashed against the hardwood, and in that single breath before tip-off — that suspended moment where time holds its breath and possibility still lives — you could almost convince yourself the Lakers had a chance.

Almost.

The Paycom Center hums with a frequency that rattles your ribcage and scatters your thoughts, a low thrum of anticipation that says, "We know something you don't know." 

Not the roar. Not yet. 

The hum. 

The hum of a young crowd that believes. 

The hum of sneakers squeaking on clean hardwood. 

The hum of 18,203 people who have already watched the film, studied the matchups and can recite the scouting report from memory. 

They are here early. They are here ready.

And across the court, leaning against the scorer's table with arms folded and eyes half-closed, sits a 41-year-old king on a throne fashioned of borrowed time.

The Los Angeles Lakers don't have enough dawgs in the kennel. They don't have enough firepower to fight this war.

The Thunder are too tough, too talented, too tenacious. They're a pack of hyenas fighting over the lone chicken breast – and that chicken breast walked off the floor with a full dislocation of his right pinky finger and didn't come back.

Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals ended 108-90. 

But the funeral started somewhere around the nine-minute mark of the third quarter, right about the time Austin Reaves caught an open wing three – a clean look, a prayer of a shot that would have cut the deficit to three – and watched it clang off iron like a bell tolling for his own lost season.

The Thunder grabbed the rebound. The Thunder pushed. The Thunder scored. 

Just like that, 60 seconds of basketball turned a four-point game into a double-digit deficit that never shrank again.

Welcome to Oklahoma City, where the Thunder devour details like dinner and the Lakers are left fasting.

Third quarters have doomed the Lakers all season.

The third quarter has haunted their huddles. The third quarter has turned winnable games into white flags. 

The third quarter has been the slow leak in their tire, the crack in their foundation, the whisper that becomes a scream when the lights shine brightest.

Tuesday night, the Thunder won the third quarter by four. Only four. 

But here's the poison in that number: Oklahoma City wins every quarter.

Plus five in the first. Plus three in the second. Plus four in the third. Plus six in the fourth. 

OKC wears you down like water on a stone. They don't need a knockout punch. They throw 1,000 jabs.

They come at you in waves. They play 11 guys. They throw so much on you that you overwhelm yourself. 

When their bench comes in, they don't lose a step. 

If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has an off night, Chet Holmgren is there to carry the load.

If they need to overwhelm you with defense, they do so with aggression. 

The numbers don't lie.

Eight of Oklahoma City's 13 made threes came from their bench. The Thunder's bench outscored the Lakers' bench 34-15. 

That's not a gap; that's a canyon.

Holmgren – all 7-foot-1 of arms and angles and offensive ambition – finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds. 

He was the Thunder's best player on a night when Gilgeous-Alexander looked mortal by his MVP standards: 18 points, seven turnovers, only three free throw attempts.

And the Lakers still couldn't stay within striking distance.

That's the thing about Oklahoma City, they're a chameleon. They're a team with a plethora of identities. 

Whatever the Thunder need to morph into, they can. They will. They do.

The Lakers burst from the gate like men possessed, like they had something to prove, like the 41.7% shooting and 17 turnovers that would eventually doom them were some other team's problem. 

LeBron James — ageless, relentless, almost absurd in his refusal to bow to biology — scored five of the first seven points, and for one shimmering, fragile moment, the purple and gold led 7-0. 

The crowd murmured. The workers in the arena yawned. The Thunder blinked. 

Hope, that most dangerous of drugs, coursed through the Lakers' veins.

But hope is a liar. Hope would have you believe that the third quarter won't be their grave. 

Hope whispers that this time, this time, the collapse won't come.

Hope is wrong. Hope is always wrong.

By the end of the first quarter, the Thunder had shaken off the rust from their eight-day layoff and seized a 31-26 lead, James' 12 points be damned. 

By halftime, Oklahoma City led 61-53, and James had 16 — a one-man army fighting a war his teammates couldn't seem to find the ammunition for. 

The Lakers were hanging on by fingernails and duct tape, by prayer, by the sheer gravitational force of James' will.

Then came the third quarter. Then came the tomb.

If you want to understand the 2025-26 Los Angeles Lakers, don't look at the final score — 108-90, a rout that felt closer than it was and further than it should have been. 

Don't look at the 41.7% shooting or the 17 turnovers that bled 20 points. 

Don't look at the bench scoring disparity, 34-15, a canyon where the Lakers' reserves should have been.

Look at the third quarter. Always look at the third quarter.

It has been the third quarter that has buried this team all season long, the 12-minute stretch where focus frays and execution evaporates, where leads dissolve and deficits become chasms. 

The third quarter is where the Lakers' season goes to die, over and over, a recurring nightmare they cannot wake from.

And Tuesday night in Oklahoma City was no different. 

It was worse.

The Lakers trimmed the deficit to four early in the third, 69-65, a tantalizing whisper of competitiveness. 

Rui Hachimura had found his rhythm, knocking down triples. The defense was bending but not breaking. For a moment — one breath, one heartbeat — it felt like a game.

Then the Thunder did what the Thunder do––annihilate. 

They don't respond; they erase.

Oklahoma City peeled off seven consecutive points. A Lu Dort three-pointer that cut through the air like a blade. A Cason Wallace steal and layup that turned a Lakers possession into Thunder points before the Lakers could even process what happened. 

The lead stretched. The crowd roared. The Lakers' shoulders sagged.

And then, the dagger — the moment that turned a basketball game into a coronation for the defending champions. 

With the final minute of the third quarter bleeding away, Ajay Mitchell — starting in place of the injured Jalen Williams, a backup playing like a star — drained a corner three. Marcus Smart fouled him on the way down. 

The free throw dropped. Four-point play. Thunder up 84-72. 

The quarter ended with the Lakers trailing by 12, and the game, for all practical purposes, was over.

"I don't think there was a turning point," Lakers coach JJ Redick said. "I think it was a general theme throughout the night when we made game plan mistakes, they hurt us."

General theme. That's one way to put it. Recurring tragedy might be another.

Austin Reaves has returned to action, but appears premature.

He doesn't look like himself. 

Then again, Reaves looks like a shadow of himself every playoff run. 

The regular-season superhero who averaged 23.3 points becomes something smaller in the postseason spotlight – hunted on defense, hurried on offense, haunted by the realization that the whistles don't blow the same way in May.

Reaves' total on the night: eight points. Three-for-16 from the field. Zero-for-five from three. Five rebounds. Six assists. 

"I got to my spots multiple times and just missed a couple easy shots," Reaves said. "Nobody cares about that now. I got to go out there and play better."

Redick, sitting at the podium later, offered the measured patience of a coach who knows he has no other choice: "He didn't play well, but he's going to bounce back. He's a great player."

But here's the question hovering over every possession, every missed rotation, every ill-advised three: Is he great enough to be the second option on a championship team? Or is he what Sam Presti's front office sees when they let talent walk – a nice story, a fan favorite, but not a foundation?

The Thunder don't have that problem. 

Mitchell dropped 18 points and looked like he'd been running that offense for years, not days. 

Isaiah Joe came off the bench and knocked down shots with the mechanical precision of a man who has taken that same corner three 10,000 times. 

Jared McCain checked in and hit two threes like he was checking his watch.

The Lakers have LeBron James. The Thunder have a program.

But, James scored 27 points for Los Angeles. He scored 12 in the first quarter alone. 

He was aggressive. He was physical. 

He was, for long stretches, the only Laker who looked like he belonged on the same floor with the defending champions.

And it wasn't enough.

It wasn't nearly enough.

Father Time is undefeated, and it appears that the keeper of the sands of time has finally caught up to James. 

Not in the box score – not yet – but in the margins. 

It shows in the defensive rotations he can't quite make; in the loose balls he used to snatch from midair; in the third quarters when his legs get heavy and the young Thunder keep running.

"He's had the greatest career of any NBA player," Redick said. "You can argue all you want. I really don't care to postulate on who's the greatest of all time. But for him to answer the bell again? It's baffling in some ways."

Baffling. But not sustainable.

Long gone are the days of trading picks for talent. That model doesn't work in the modern NBA, where the apron tax strangles flexibility. 

Oklahoma City is the blueprint. Sam Presti has amassed a collection of talent that is nothing short of miraculous – draft picks that hit, development that works, a culture that breeds buy-in from the 15th man to the franchise superstar.

The Lakers? They're still chasing ghosts. 

Still suffering from a Sisyphus curse –– leaning on a 40-year-old to push them up a mountain that gets steeper every season.

Jarred Vanderbilt dislocated his pinky finger trying to block a shot. Full dislocation. 

The pinky went one way. His hand went the other. 

He screamed. 

Audibly screamed. 

Redick heard it from the sideline and went to check on him.

"I mean, he was audibly screaming," Redick said. "He knew he had done something."

That play – that freakish, unfortunate, perfectly symbolic play – happened on a two-handed alley-oop from Isaiah Hartenstein to Holmgren. 

Vanderbilt went up to contest. His right pinky caught the edge of the rim on the way down. His hand kept moving. His finger didn't.

He didn't return. He might not return for the rest of the series.

The Lakers needed his length. They needed his athleticism. They needed his ability to muck things up, to cause havoc, to be the irritant that makes Shai think twice. 

And now? Now they're down a body against a team that plays 10 deep and doesn't lose a step when the subs check in.

"We didn't have the attention to detail in Game 5 against Houston," Redick admitted. "We had it tonight."

Did they?

17 turnovers...18 turnovers if you count the bad shots that functioned as turnovers – the ill-advised threes, the rushed floaters, the possessions that ended before they ever really began. 

Oklahoma City turned those mistakes into 20 points. 

20 points that James couldn't get back. 20 points that Reaves couldn't erase. 20 points that felt like 40 in a building that feeds on error.

"They take advantage of every single mental mistake," Reaves said. "Once you make a couple in a row, they capitalize."

On every possession, every screen, every closeout, the Thunder are dialed in. 

There is no wandering. There is no wondering. 

Each player knows their role as well as their own name.

They are deep. Ten players scored. Four hit double figures. 

The rotation goes 11 deep without a drop-off in energy, execution or intensity. 

When Gilgeous-Alexander sits, nobody panics. When Holmgren needs a breather, nobody shrinks.

Oklahoma City is devoted to the details. The box-outs. The weak-side rotations. The extra pass. The early help. The late contest. 

They do the small things with the same ferocity that other teams reserve for dunks and daggers.

"They're the defending champions," James said. "It's a tall task."

But here's the truth that everyone in the building felt but few wanted to say: This didn't feel like a tall task. This felt like a mismatch. 

This felt like a team that has built something, rather than one that is still trying to borrow something.

The Lakers shot 41.7% from the field. They turned it over 17 times. They lost the bench battle by 19 points. They lost the third quarter – again – and with it, any hope of stealing Game 1 on the road.

Somehow, Los Angeles managed to hold SGA under 20 points. They had a sound plan. 

The Lakers just didn't make shots.

But they didn't make shots for a reason. 

The Thunder made them uncomfortable. The Thunder made them hurry. The Thunder made them think, not react; hesitate, not attack.

That's what devotion to the details looks like.

That's what the Lakers used to be.

That's what they may never be again.

The series shifts to Thursday night. Same building. Same hum. Same hungry crowd.

The Lakers will talk about adjustments. They'll talk about shooting better. They'll talk about taking care of the ball and winning a quarter – just one quarter – to change the momentum.

"They got down to four at one point," Redick said. "We hung around all night. The game never felt out of reach."

But it did. 

It felt out of reach the moment Mitchell hit that corner three and got fouled by Smart in the final minute of the third quarter. Four-point play. Twelve-point lead. Game over. Season teetering.

Reaves will watch the film. 

He'll see his misses. He'll see his mistakes. He'll promise to be better.

James will ice his knees, rest his bones and prepare to do it all over again at the ripe age of 41.

And the Thunder will show up – dialed in, deep, devoted to the details – and dare the Lakers to find an answer they don't have.

Oklahoma City, simply, is too good. They compel, no, force you to have your antennas up for 48 minutes.

For most teams, that's unsustainable. The Lakers had their antennas up for about 24.

The third quarter came. The third quarter conquered.

Same as it ever was.

The fourth quarter was a formality, a victory lap for a team that knew the outcome before the Lakers did. 

The Paycom Center emptied slowly, the crowd still buzzing, still celebrating, still living in the afterglow of a performance that felt inevitable from the opening tip. 

The Lakers filed toward their locker room, a procession of golden-clad ghosts moving through a building that had already forgotten them.

James walked slowly, his 27 points heavy on his shoulders, his 41 years heavy on his legs. 

He gave everything, again, and it had not been enough, again. There aren't too many of these performances in that body.

Somewhere in the arena, a replay showed Holmgren's alley-oop, the play that broke Vanderbilt's finger and the Lakers' spirit in one cruel moment.

This is who the Lakers are. This is who the Thunder are. 

The distance between them is not measured in points but in eras, in philosophies, in the fundamental understanding of what it takes to win basketball games in 2026.

The Thunder know. The Lakers are still learning. And the third quarter — that cruel, unforgiving third quarter — is teaching them the hardest lesson of all.

For as good a fight as Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois is, is it as two-dimensional as some are claiming? Does it really boil down to “Dubois early or Wardley late”?

It’s an understandable narrative on the face of it, given each man’s recent form, but the truth is, it might not hold up to much scrutiny. So, let’s waste no time.

We’ll address Wardley’s side of this equation first. He will enter Saturday’s WBO heavyweight title defence on the back of two late knockouts – one against Justis Huni in June, the other versus Joseph Parker in October.

These were not just late stoppages, though, with the Ipswich boxer taking out Huni in round 10 and Parker in the 11th; they were comeback KOs, as Wardley trailed on the scorecards on both occasions.

Yet for all their similarities, these finishes can be distinguished, too.

Wardley’s finish against Huni was a true one-punch KO, a mammoth overhand that beat the Australian’s cross for pace, undoing all of Huni’s good work in an instant. In that moment, Wardley was something of a matador, edging backwards slightly while Huni stepped in on his own jab feint and right straight.

Against Parker, there was some controversy. Before the finish in the 11th round, Wardley actually hurt the New Zealander with a sneaky rear uppercut in the dying seconds of the 10th. Wardley could not seal the stoppage then, but midway through the penultimate round, he drew down Parker’s hands with a feinted jab to the chest, before a step-in cross to the chin. The ensuing onslaught was not as accurate from Wardley as it might have been, but there were enough clean shots and enough eye-catching swings to force the referee to intervene.

So, on this occasion, it was more about optics and accumulation than a single-shot, Houdini-esque escape. Still, it was an escape.

Yet Wardley’s two previous outings, a pair of duels with Frazer Clarke, showed that the 31-year-old can be involved in very different types of fights. The first clash with Clarke was a split draw after a hellish 12 rounds, while the rematch ended inside two and a half minutes, as Wardley literally put a dent in his fellow Briton’s head.

In fact, prior to this, many of Wardley’s wins had come via early stoppages, helping him build an overall record of 20-0-1 (19 KOs).

And what of Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs)?

Firstly, his last “early” finish came three years ago, when he stopped Kevin Lerena in round two after challenging fans’ perceptions of his own heart (Dubois had climbed off the canvas three times in round one, battling through a knee injury).

Since then, the 28-year-old has fought five times and gone 3-2. His defeats by Oleksandr Usyk occurred in round nine in 2023 and round five last summer, while his wins came in the fifth frame (Anthony Joshua, 2024), eighth (Filip Hrgovic, 2024) and 10th (Jarrell Miller, 2023).

While some see Dubois as a flat-track bully who does not like to endure a tough fight, the former IBF champ absorbed significant damage against Miller before stopping the American in the final 10 seconds of their bout, and he was also tagged cleanly and repeatedly by Hrgovic before rallying to force a doctor stoppage. He was even buzzed by Joshua in the seconds prior to knocking out his fellow Briton.

So, Dubois does have the capacity to withstand damage, despite any surface-level or lazy narratives around him, and he does have the ability to stop a fight late. Conversely, Wardley is not only a threat in the final few rounds, even if his two bouts in 2025 belie this reality.

Regardless, there is a good chance that this turns into a brawl quickly – and, actually, that a finish arrives in the middle rounds. “A finish” replaces “the finish” here, although the consensus is that Wardley vs Dubois will not go the full distance. But even if the final round is required at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena, who is to say the final bell will be? This fight has been marketed as “Don’t Blink” for a reason.

Manchester United have prioritised the academy in recent years under Ineos’ stewardship.

Focus

The Red Devils have spent significant sums trying to bring in some of the most exciting players at youth level.

Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi were plucked from Arsenal’s academy.

Sekou Kone, Diego Leon and Cristian Orozco have also been signed from abroad to enhance the strength of the academy.

This has resulted in strong performances, with the under-21s progressing to the semi-final of the playoffs against Manchester City.

The under-18s have also reached the final of the prestigious FA Youth Cup, where they will again face City next week.

Continued restructuring

United have also been restructuring at the decision-making level, as Darren Hughes was poached from Manchester City as a coach to work under academy head Stephen Torpey.

The Daily Mail reports that United are not yet done in reshaping their academy team.

The paper states that, “United have launched another raid on Newcastle’s academy in a bid to strengthen their recruitment operation.”

The Red Devils had made an offer for Newcastle’s head of youth recruitment, Paul Midgley, in December but he turned down the role.

The Daily Mail is now stating that the club “have headhunted their Premier League rivals’ lead youth technical scout Harvey Busby to fill the role of lead national scout at Carrington.”

Were he to accept the role, it is thought he would be in charge of the under-14 to under-16 age group.

The Red Devils also famously enticed former sporting director Dan Ashworth away from Newcastle in 2024, but he only lasted a matter of months at the club before being replaced by Jason Wilcox.

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HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL, SOFTBALL SCORES
Tuesday’s Results 

BASEBALL 

CITY SECTION
El Camino Real 1, Granada Hills 0
Rise Kohyang 16, CNDLC 15
San Fernando 6, Granada Hills Kennedy 2
Santee 10, LA Jordan 4
University Prep Value 5, Smidt Tech 4

SOUTHERN SECTION
AAE 4, University Prep 3
Anaheim 7, Placentia Valencia 6
Arlington 3, Bishop Amat 2
Artesia 8, Garden Grove Santiago 1
Ayala 8, Mira Costa 3
Bethel Christian 18, Packinghouse Christian 1
Bishop Montgomery 3, Redondo Union 2
Bloomington 10, Arroyo Valley 0
Brentwood 10, Shalhevet 0
Buena Park 3, Segerstrom 2
California 7, Whittier Christian 6
Calvary Baptist 27, Crossroads Christian 0
Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary 6, Alhambra 4
Carter 5, Eisenhower 4
Chaminade 1, St. Francis 0
Charter Oak 8, West Covina 7
Chino 6, Montclair 5
Chino Hills 5, Rancho Cucamonga 2
Citrus Valley 2, Arrowhead Christian 1
Coastal Christian 5, Valley Christian Academy 3
Compton 14, Dominguez 3
Compton Centennial 5, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 3
Covina 7, Hacienda Heights Wilson 0
Don Lugo 12, Diamond Ranch 1
Eastvale Roosevelt 7, Apple Valley 2
Elsinore 8, San Jacinto 0
El Modena 4, Anaheim Canyon 1
Estancia 15, Bolsa Grande 4
Etiwanda 3, Upland 1
Fontana 10, Rim of the World 3
Garden Grove 6, Santa Ana 0
Glenn 11, San Gabriel 0
Grand Terrace 4, Kaiser 0
Hesperia Christian 15, Excelsior Charter 14
Huntington Beach 3, Gahr 2
Indio 6, Coachella Valley 5
Katella 4, Fullerton 1
Laguna Hills 8, Ocean View 6
Lakeside 9, Indian Springs 5
La Serna 3, Laguna Beach 2
Lennox Academy 10, HMSA 9
Loara 5, Heritage Christian 4
Long Beach Cabrillo 5, Long Beach Jordan 1
Long Beach Wilson 6, Long Beach Poly 3
Los Osos 5, Damien 0
Maranatha 9, Valencia 3
Mary Star of the Sea 10, Glendale 4
Millikan 8, Lakewood 0
Mission Viejo 4, Aliso Niguel 1
Newbury Park 6, Oxnard 4
Ontario 4, Chaffey 1
Orange 2, Irvine 1
Orange County Pacifica Christian 3, Costa Mesa 1
Orange Lutheran 6, Mater Dei 5
Oxnard Pacifica 6, Channel Islands 1
Rowland 8, Northview 5
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 2, Tustin 0
Santa Fe 9, La Salle 3
Santa Monica 6, St. Monica 4
Servite 1, Cypress 0
Shadow Hills 2, Xavier Prep 1
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 7, Loyola 1
Sierra Canyon 6, Alemany 5
Silver Valley 3, Lucerne Valley 2
Southlands Christian 9, Avalon 2
St. Anthony 6, Paramount 1
Summit 7, Hesperia 0
Tahquitz 10, Colton 1
Temescal Canyon 3, West Valley 2
Thacher 13, Dunn 7
Trabuco Hills 6, Capistrano Valley Christian 2
Trinity Classical Academy 3, Desert Christian 0
Troy 4, South Pasadena 3
United Christian Academy 14, Anza Hamilton 8
Vasquez 12, Faith Baptist 0
Webb 9, Fairmont Prep 3
Western 8, Whitney 3
Westminster 8, Godinez 2
Whittier 8, Los Amigos 1
Woodcrest Christian 16, Los Altos 1
Yucaipa 10, La Quinta 2

INTERSECTIONAL 
Cathedral 14, Sotomayor 3
CIMSA 10, Public Safety Academy 0
SLOCA 19, Shandon 2

SOFTBALL 

CITY SECTION
Animo Robinson d. AHSA, forfeit
Smidt Tech 17, Alliance Bloomfield 7

SOUTHERN SECTION
Alhambra 26, San Gabriel 5
Alta Loma 5, South Hills 4
Anaheim Canyon 4, Cypress 0
Arlington 7, Orange Vista 4
Arroyo 23, Garey 3
Beaumont 2, Redlands East Valley 0
Bell Gardens 7, Mark Keppel 4
Brea Olinda 7, Sonora 5
Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary 5
Carter 12, Grand Terrace 3
Castaic 14, Canyon Country Canyon 8
Cerritos 9, Artesia 0
Chaffey 16, Ontario 3
Charter Oak 10, West Covina 0
Chino 11, Montclair 4
Citrus Valley 8, Cajon 7
Colton 11, Summit 7
Compton 13, Long Beach Jordan 11
Compton Early College 21, Compton Centennial 6
Costa Mesa 23, Godinez 11
Covina 10, Hacienda Heights Wilson 3
Crean Lutheran 17, Esperanza 7
Don Lugo 11, Diamond Ranch 1
Elsinore 13, West Valley 0
El Toro 11, Beckman 0
Firebaugh 17, Bellflower 16
Fontana 15, Rim of the World 5
Foothill Tech 15, Carpinteria 0
Fountain Valley 19, Corona del Mar 6
Fullerton 9, Segerstrom 1
Garden Grove Pacifica 12, El Modena 7
Gahr 9, La Mirada 7
Gardena Serra 14, St. Bernard 6
Hart 16, West Ranch 0
HMSA 13, Environmental Charter 3
Huntington Beach 20, Newport Harbor 0
Indio 25, Coachella Valley 0
Lakewood 8, Long Beach Wilson 6
La Salle 12, St. Monica 1
Los Alamitos 2, Marina 1
Los Altos 7, Colony 3
Lynwood 24, Dominguez 10
Mater Dei 9, JSerra 5
Millikan 22, Long Beach Cabrillo 0
Mission Viejo 8, Capistrano Valley 2
Moorpark 3, Simi Valley 1
Murrieta Valley 7, Great Oak 6
Northview 10, Rowland 0
Oak Park 10, Grace 3
Oaks Christian 20, Calabasas 0
Orange Lutheran 3, Santa Margarita 0
Paraclete 16, Lakewood St. Joseph 15
Paramount 12, Norwalk 4
Pasadena Poly 30, Westridge 17
Ramona Convent 12, Mary Star of the Sea 2
Rancho Mirage 19, Palm Desert 18
Rialto 9, Jurupa Hills 3
Riverside King 9, Ramona 1
Riverside Notre Dame 4, Bloomington 3
Royal 13, Camarillo 12
San Clemente 14, Tesoro 2
San Gorgonio 15, Arroyo Valley 10
San Jacinto 17, Tahquitz 6
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 8, Ocean View 5
Schurr 19, Montebello 2
Silver Valley 20, Lucerne Valley 9
St. Anthony 7, Bishop Conaty-Loretto 1
St. Paul 12, Bishop Amat 8
Sunny Hills 19, Troy 1
Thousand Oaks 4, Agoura 3
Torrance 2, South Torrance 0
Tustin 3, Laguna Hills 2
United Christian Academy 13, La Sierra Academy 0
University Prep 15, Victor Valley 5
Valencia 19, Golden Valley 0
Valley Christian 13, Maranatha 0
Vasquez 11, Santa Clarita Christian 1
Ventura 13, Santa Clara 2
Viewpoint 5, Burbank Providence 1
Warren 2, Downey 1
Westlake 9, Newbury Park 3
Whittier Christian 10, Heritage Christian 0
Yorba Linda 3, Villa Park 1
Yucaipa 23, Redlands 0

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

After a manic, mad and magnificent first leg, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain do it all over again as they battle for a place in the Champions League final.

The two European heavyweights shared nine goals a week ago in a captivating affair, with PSG edging ahead at the end of their home half of the tie.

Could a similarly hectic encounter again be in store? Or will the stakes necessitate a cagier battle between the six-time winners and defending champions?

The winner will take on Arsenal in the Champions League final in Budapest on 30 May.

Here’s everything you need to know.

When is Bayern Munich vs PSG?

The second leg of the Champions League semi-final is due to kick off at 8pm BST on Wednesday 6 May at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage on the channel from 7pm BST. A live stream will be available via HBO Max.

Team news

Serge Gnaby remains sidelined for Bayern Munich, but both Lennart Karl and Raphael Guerreiro trained on match eve and could feature.

Achraf Hakimi will miss out for Paris Saint-Germain after suffering an injury in the first leg. Warren Zaire-Emery should deputise at right-back.

Predicted line-ups

Bayern Munich XI: Neuer; Stanisic, Upamecano, Tah, Davies; Kimmich, Pavlovic; Olise, Musiala, Diaz; Kane.

PSG XI: Safonov; Zaire-Emery, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Ruiz, Vitinha, Neves; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia.

Liverpool must intervene as Manchester United look to sign an ideal midfielder.

The Telegraph reports that Manchester United are looking into a deal for West Ham United midfielder Matheus Fernandes. The Portuguese star is expected to be available, especially if the Hammers are relegated.

The 21-year-old has his admirers and United could try to snap him up on the cheap. If that is their plan, it’s one Liverpool should absolutely hijack.

There is no greater need at Liverpool than a solid midfielder and Fernandes is one of those. He wins the ball, moves it on, and has consistently been doing that over the last couple of seasons.

Enough so that we pitched the idea of signing him a year ago as he went down with Southampton. One of the best tackling midfielders in the Premier League, Fernandes also completes around 87 per cent of his passes and is one of the most consistent dribblers in the position.

All in all, that’s exactly what Liverpool lack in the middle. Someone who can win the ball back and limit his mistakes on the ball.

The fact Fernandes does it at 21 is even better - a long-term option who would, at the very least, bring a dimension that no other Liverpool midfielder can offer.

So don’t let United snap him up! Fernandes should be a Liverpool player.

Matheus Fernandes: Situation Summary

West Ham Performance and Stats

As of 4 May 2026, Mateus Fernandes (often referred to as Matheus) has emerged as the standout performer in an otherwise difficult season for West Ham United. The 21-year-old Portuguese midfielder, who joined from Southampton for €46 million last summer, has recorded three goals and three assists in the Premier League. He played the full 90 minutes in a 3–1 defeat to Brentford on 2 May, maintaining his status as a permanent fixture in Nuno Espírito Santo’s midfield. Despite the club sitting just two points above the relegation zone, Fernandes has earned widespread praise for his technical ability and work rate, currently holding an average rating of 6.84.

Transfer Speculation and Heavyweight Interest

Fernandes’ rapid ascent has made him a primary target for Europe’s elite. Reports from 4 May 2026 confirm that Manchester United have identified him as a priority for their summer rebuild following their return to the Champions League. Manchester City and Liverpool are also reportedly monitoring the player, with City’s sporting director Hugo Viana—who knows the player from Sporting CP—tracking his progress closely. While West Ham are determined to keep him regardless of their league status, a valuation of approximately £55–65 million has been discussed.

International Standing

Fernandes made his senior international debut for Portugal in a friendly against the United States in April 2026. Given his domestic form, he is widely expected to be named in Roberto Martínez’s squad for the 2026 World Cup this June.

The San Francisco Giants’ offense came to life on Tuesday, and it is critical that you understand that “come to life” is a relative term. Life, in living and breathing human being terms, may be binary, but in baseball parlance it is not.

For the Giants, coming to life means they scored exactly five runs, which marked just the 11th time they’ve done that through 36 games this year. It might not be a sign of life for the eight MLB teams that are averaging at least five runs per game.

But the issue with an offense that comes to life is that you never know whether its relationship with the other half of the game will be symbiotic or parasitic. Can life on offense beget life on the mound? Or must life on offense funnel life from a pitcher in order to stay alive?

On Tuesday, it was emphatically the latter. San Francisco’s life in the batter’s box, relative as it may be, came at the direct expense of their life throwing pitches. And the result was a 10-5 loss at the hands of the San Diego Padres.

That’s disappointing enough as is, but disappointment gives way to concern when you get to the critical detail: Logan Webb was on the mound.

We keep waiting for Webb’s season to arrive, and it keeps putting us on hold, and making us listen to that annoying music while we wait. There are flashes though, and Webb treated us to a few right out of the gates. He opened the night by striking out Jackson Merrill, and immediately followed it by K’ing Manny Machado. He did allow a two-out triple to Miguel Andujar, but in vintage Webb fashion, looked utterly unbothered while quickly retiring the next batter.

And on the other end, the offense wasted no time upping its game, and trying to prove to Buster Posey and Tony Vitello that the roster buttons being pressed are not in vain, and that the roster messages being yelled are heard, chef. Jung Hoo Lee quickly started a rally with a leadoff single against old frenemy Walker Buehler, setting the first inning in motion.

That set the stage for seemingly the only player employed by the Giants who knows how to hit these days, but my goodness does he know how to hit. For the second day in a row, Casey Schmitt (playing second base this time) launched a majestic first-inning moonshot that tickled the fog and hugged the left field line.

Just like that, the Giants had struck first with a pair of runs. With their offense looking lively and their ace on the mound, it didn’t even feel concerning when Xander Bogaerts bopped a solo shot in the second inning, cutting the lead in half.

You had more confidence than a one-game winning streak should afford you, but you felt sure that the offense would get the run back and Webb would settle down.

Right on the former; wrong on the latter.

The offense got the run back and then some in the bottom half of the inning thanks to the final third of the lineup. The seventh, eighth, and ninth hitters — Willy Adames, Drew Gilbert, and Jesús Rodríguez, respectively — all singled with one out. It was the third and final knock in that hit parade that was special: Rodríguez, getting a second straight start behind the dish to begin his MLB campaign, slapped one to right field for his first career hit. Adames, meanwhile, with his head down in reckless hustle, never looked up to see Hector Borg’s stop sign, and ran right through it, challenging Fernando Tatis Jr.’s dynamic arm, and winning ever so slightly.

Lee would follow that up with a fielder’s choice to score Gilbert, and the Giants led 4-1. Life was good, and it was even better when Webb would set down the side in order in the third, once again striking out Giants killers Merrill and Machado.

But soon it would not be very good at all. The fourth inning ended any and all hopes we garnered for an enjoyable baseball game. It started with a one-out, mild-mannered, seeing-eye single by Gavin Sheets. Such is the life of a sinkerballer.

It escalated a pitch later, when Tatis mashed a double to put runners at second and third with one out. Now the Padres were threatening to not just score a run, but get right back into the game.

They scored a run indeed, on a productive groundout by Bogaerts. It cut the score to 4-2, but it also gave Webb the second out of the inning, and escaping mostly intact was still in play. But Tatis would score when Nick Castellanos, who somehow still has a job, singled. And the danger only mounted further when Webb hit Luis Campusano with a pitch, putting the go-ahead run on the bases. And those runs would both score when Sung-Mun Song one-upped Rodríguez with his first career hit, which went for two bases and scored two runs. Take that, Jesús!

Song, who had taken third on an error by Adames on the play, would score easily on a Merrill single, and just like that, the Padres had flipped the game on its head. The inning had started with what felt like a comfortable lead. It had ended with the worst inning Webb has had in ages, and a 6-4 deficit.

It would be the final inning for Webb, who finished with four frames thrown, seven hits allowed, six runs, and four strikeouts (but no walks!). He had only thrown 62 pitches, but Vitello announced after the game that Webb had some leg discomfort, and the training staff wanted to play in safe after a long inning.

Ever the gamer — and in this case, likely ever the truth-teller — Webb was adamant that any soreness he felt had no impact on the way he threw the ball. He just didn’t throw it well, and with that, his ERA ballooned to 5.06.

What came after wasn’t much prettier. JT Brubaker took over for the fifth, and managed to give up two hits and two walks in his only inning, though he somehow allowed just one run along the way. Despite the second and third batters in the sixth inning being right handed, Tony Vitello shockingly opted for Ryan Borucki in the frame, and it went about how you would expect: he didn’t even get through the opening lefty unscathed, as Merrill bopped a leadoff single. After stealing second, he scored on the most predictable of outcomes: Borucki allowing a hit to a righty.

Gregory Santos handled the seventh and eighth, and while his stuff was nasty — and 20 of his 28 pitches were strikes — his second frame featured a single by Song, a stolen base, an RBI double by Merrill, and, just because this is the kind of day the Giants were having, a balked-home run.

The lone clean outing belonged to Joel Peguero, who made his return from the Injured List and pitched a scoreless ninth inning in his season debut. Welcome back, Joel. And happy birthday!

As that chaos and disappointment unfolded on the mound, the Giants’ offense realized that resistance was futile, and tucked their hits into their back pocket for Wednesday’s game (or at least that’s what I’m telling myself). They went down in order in the third, fourth, fifth, eighth, and ninth innings. But while the showing was feeble during that time, it wasn’t devoid of highlights or feels, because in the seventh inning we were treated to one of the most special things in baseball: the first career home run.

No, it wasn’t off the bat of the highly-anticipated slugger Bryce Eldridge, though he did single for his first hit of the year. Instead, it was Rodríguez, who is getting the playing time preference over Patrick Bailey, it seems. With one out in the inning, Rodríguez got a slider from Jeremiah Estrada and, as he did earlier in the day with his single, inside-outed it to right field.

One day the rookie will learn about the disappointments that await hitters who hit fly balls to right field at Oracle Park, but that day will have to wait. Because in just his second career game, Rodríguez took on the arcade and emerged victorious, with his first slow jog around the bases.

I’ll say this much about the Giants following Monday’s desperation promotions: they may still be awful, but they sure are a lot more interesting.

ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – Watkins Glen International is a place that’s given Connor Zilisch many memorable moments already in his young career.

In 2024, Zilisch earned his first O’Reilly Series win at just 18. Last year, he went back-to-back but an unexpected fall in victory lane took the joy of winning instantly away. Zilisch broke his collarbone after falling with his foot caught in the window net launching him head-first into the pavement. The scary scene not only took Zilisch out for last year’s Go Bowling at The Glen Cup Series race, but it pushed him to have surgery putting a plate and over 10 screws into his collarbone.

Trackhouse teammate, Shane van Gisbergen, went on to win The Go Bowling at The Glen in dominant fashion. Weeks later, Zilisch returned to Daytona last year and has never looked back. This weekend, Zilisch returns to race in three different circuits with the Truck Series on Friday along with van Gisbergen, The O’Reilly Series Saturday and then The Cup Series on Sunday.

Zilisch says it’s going to be a busy weekend but one that’s fulfilling especially with his history at The Glen.

“It’s certainly different, but at the same time you’re just trying to make a race car go fast around a racetrack,” Zilisch said. “As a race car driver that’s our job and that’s what we get paid to do.”

For Zilisch, who is looking for his first win of the season, there would be no better place to win again than at WGI.

“I’m looking forward to getting to run all three series and hopefully making it Sunday this time around.”

The NASCAR Truck Series Bully Hill Vineyards 176 at The Glen will be Friday at 4:30 pm on FS1. The O’Reilly Series Mission 200 at The Glen airs Saturday at 4 pm on The CW. And, The Go Bowling at The Glen will be Sunday at 3 pm on FS1.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com.

Los Angeles Lakers (53-29, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18, first in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Thursday, 9:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Thunder -15.5; over/under is 209.5

WESTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Thunder lead series 1-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference second round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Thunder won the last matchup 108-90 on Wednesday, led by 24 points from Chet Holmgren. LeBron James led the Lakers with 27.

The Thunder are 41-11 in Western Conference games. Oklahoma City ranks fifth in the Western Conference in rebounding with 44.1 rebounds. Holmgren leads the Thunder with 8.9 boards.

The Lakers are 33-19 in Western Conference play. Los Angeles scores 116.3 points and has outscored opponents by 1.7 points per game.

The Thunder score 119.0 points per game, 4.4 more points than the 114.6 the Lakers give up. The Lakers average 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.5 fewer made shots on average than the 14.3 per game the Thunder allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.1 points and 6.6 assists for the Thunder. Isaiah Joe is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

James is scoring 20.9 points per game and averaging 6.1 rebounds for the Lakers. Rui Hachimura is averaging 2.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 8-2, averaging 120.6 points, 43.8 rebounds, 28.8 assists, 9.8 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 49.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.2 points per game.

Lakers: 7-3, averaging 104.8 points, 40.6 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 9.6 steals and 5.6 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 98.3 points.

INJURIES: Thunder: Jalen Williams: out (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).

Lakers: Luka Doncic: out (hamstring), Jarred Vanderbilt: day to day (finger).

___

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

Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Detroit Pistons (60-22, first in the Eastern Conference)

Detroit; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT

LINE: Pistons -3.5; over/under is 216

EASTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Pistons lead series 1-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Detroit Pistons host the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference second round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Pistons won the last meeting 111-101 on Tuesday, led by 23 points from Cade Cunningham. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 23.

The Pistons have gone 12-4 against division opponents. Detroit is fourth in the Eastern Conference with 18.0 fast break points per game led by Cunningham averaging 3.9.

The Cavaliers are 11-5 in division matchups. Cleveland scores 119.5 points and has outscored opponents by 4.1 points per game.

The Pistons average 11.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.2 fewer makes per game than the Cavaliers allow (14.2). The Cavaliers score 9.9 more points per game (119.5) than the Pistons give up to opponents (109.6).

TOP PERFORMERS: Ausar Thompson is scoring 9.9 points per game and averaging 5.7 rebounds for the Pistons. Cunningham is averaging 27.1 points and 5.3 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Mitchell is averaging 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals for the Cavaliers. James Harden is averaging 18.6 points, 5.5 assists and 1.6 steals over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pistons: 7-3, averaging 107.9 points, 47.1 rebounds, 23.6 assists, 9.0 steals and 8.3 blocks per game while shooting 46.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 100.6 points per game.

Cavaliers: 5-5, averaging 111.6 points, 44.7 rebounds, 22.9 assists, 8.1 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.3 points.

INJURIES: Pistons: Kevin Huerter: day to day (adductor).

Cavaliers: None listed.

___

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

Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has called out the Chelsea owners for making their biggest mistake – there’s been many.

When you look back at the amount of mistakes that these new Chelsea owners have made in the four years they have owned the club, you will have lost count of them. It’s been pure ignorance, but some of the mistakes have been bigger than others.

EXCLUSIVE! Chelsea contact former Blues player for shock return to the club this summer!

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Mikel has rightfully called out their biggest mistake though, or at least it is their biggest mistake in my opinion – they have literally gutted out the entire club of anyone who was formerly here under the previous ownership and they have refused to bring in any former players to any roles. John Terry has a tiny role in the academy, but that’s literally it.

Mikel calls it out

Job Obi Mikel lays into Chelsea’s owners.

In words picked up on X this week, Mikel said on his latest Podcast:

“It’s this thing of BlueCo not wanting anyone who represented the football club before and who helped build the club to what it is today. They don’t want the people still, which is the wrong thing to do.

“You need to continue that success. You need the people who knew what it took to build the football club to what it is today. You need the people to continue the success, the culture. We don’t have that any more.”

In other news today..

Chelsea’s transfer of Joao Pedro worked out, and the club will surely try to repeat the trick this summer in the market. He’s been a rare example of buying proven quality for the here and now.

Chelsea have ruled out an attempt to bring Xavi Hernandez in as their new manager according to Ben Jacobs’ reporting today. What’s odd is that it was Jacobs who reported Chelsea made contact with Xavi just moments before he said this!?

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

Napoli Sporting Director Giovanni Manna has confirmed the club will be signing Rasmus Hojlund from Manchester United this summer.

As a result, the forward’s Red Devils tenure will come to an end after three years, only two of which he spent actually playing for United.

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Rasmus Hojlund to join Napoli in June

When Hojlund made the switch to Naples last summer, it was swiftly revealed that a buy obligation worth £38 million had been included in the terms, which they would have to activate if they qualified for the Champions League.

Although Napoli have maintained since early on his loan spell that they intended to keep hold of the Dane, the clause will automatically have to be fulfilled in the coming weeks when the side book their UCL spot.

Unfortunately for Antonio Conte and his men, they were unable to retain their Scudetto following last season’s triumph, as Inter Milan claimed the title over the weekend with three games left to play.

However, they did lift silverware midway through the campaign when winning the Italian Super Cup back in December.

How is Hojlund getting on over in Italy?

In regard to how Hojlund, whom United signed for an initial £64m, has fared in sky blue, he has enjoyed a revitalised run in comparison to 2024/2025, when he returned only four Premier League goals in 32 appearances.

The 23-year-old has notched 14 goals and six assists in 42 appearances across all competitions in 2025/2026, including 10 in the league and three in Europe.

At the time United chiefs were negotiating his departure, it’s thought Hojlund was desperate to stay put and prove himself to INEOS.

Hojlund’s complete record for United

Yet, with how United’s frontline has performed in his absence and how he’s been able to enjoy his football under less scrutiny, it goes without saying that the impending deal is the best outcome for all parties.

“There are no doubts. Rasmus will stay here,” said Manna (as cited by Mirror Sport) when weighing in on the striker’s future. “We have an obligation to buy from Manchester United in case of Champions League access, but he is in our plans regardless of this condition.”

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May 6 2026, 7:00

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May 6 2026, 6:15

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May 5 2026, 17:32

While Alvaro Carreras started strong at Real Madrid after arriving in the summer, his descent has been as swift as his ascent was a few months ago.

From being an undisputed starter to going behind Ferland Mendy and Fran Garcia, a lot has changed for Carreras in recent months and there are conflicting reports as to why the player has lost the manager’s faith.

The decision does not appear to be tactical but rather due to a reported rift between the new signing and the coaching staff.

Carreras’ statement

Taking to his personal Instagram account yesterday, the Real Madrid defender addressed the news of him rumouredly losing his spot under Alvaro Arbeloa due to poor professionalism and dedication.

“In recent days, certain insinuations and comments about me have emerged that do not correspond to reality.”

“My commitment to this club and to the coaches I’ve had has been unwavering since day one, and it will continue to be so,” he added.

Alvaro Carreras has assured his commitment to Real Madrid. (Source: Instagram)

Commenting on how he has always given his all for the club crest, the Spanish defender said,

“Since I returned, I have always worked with the highest level of professionalism, respect, and dedication. I have fought very hard to fulfil my dream of returning home.”

Finally, he confirmed that there was truth to his altercation with a teammate behind the scenes, although he did not take any names or get into specifics.

“Regarding the incident with a teammate, it was an isolated matter without importance that has already been resolved. My relationship with the entire team is very good.”

With El Clasico coming up this weekend, it will be interesting to see who the management sees as the best candidate to hold off Barcelona’s threat down the flank. 

Barcelona’s plans for the summer transfer window may already be facing a serious complication as one of the club’s top targets is beginning to lose patience. 

Reports emerging from Mundo Deportivo suggest that Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni is no longer willing to wait endlessly for the Catalan giants to make their move official.

The Italian international has been heavily linked with Barcelona for months, with the club viewing him as one of the ideal options to strengthen the backline ahead of next season. 

The defender is admired internally for his composure on the ball, tactical intelligence and ability to fit naturally into Hansi Flick’s system.

There was an offer

Barcelona’s interest in Bastoni is understood to be genuine, as the club approached the defender in April and even presented him with a five-year contract proposal. 

The player accepted the idea of joining Barça in principle, but everything depended on final approval from Flick and the sporting department.

For weeks, Bastoni remained calm and optimistic. The message reaching his camp was that the transfer would eventually happen once Barcelona finalised their sporting plans for next season. 

Bastoni wants to have better clarity from Barcelona. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

However, despite the club moving closer to securing the La Liga title in recent weeks, no official offer has yet arrived at Inter Milan and that delay is now beginning to frustrate the defender.

Bastoni growing impatient

It is said that Bastoni wants clarity regarding his future and does not want to enter the summer surrounded by uncertainty. 

More importantly, the Italian centre-back only wants to leave Inter if he feels truly important to Barcelona’s project. 

He is said to value the confidence of the coach above everything else and wants guarantees that he would play a leading role under Flick.

At the same time, the situation is not creating panic for the player personally. Bastoni remains very happy at Inter, where he is considered one of the pillars of the squad. 

The Serie A giants continue to trust him completely, and the player himself sees the club as one of the best teams in the world.

Still, Barcelona remain the one exception that could tempt him away from Italy.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has put out his latest information on Chelsea’s new manager search this week.

Blues fans are eagerly anticipating any news on who the next manager might be. Some of them are desperate for news in fact.

EXCLUSIVE! Chelsea contact former Blues player for shock return to the club this summer!

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But the fact is at the moment, I don’t think any of us will know who the new manager will be until the end of the season, which is when the club are expected to announce them.

There is a load of speculation flying around in the mean time though, but none of it is holding much weight to it at the moment. Even news of Xavi being contacted yesterday was quickly shut down by top sources.

Romano’s latest on manager search

Xavi Hernandez managing Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Romano reported yesterday:

“There is nothing ongoing between Chelsea and Xavi Hernandez. That’s my understanding as of today.

“If tomorrow morning they decide to meet. I will let you know. But as of today, beginning of May, zero contacts between Xavi and Chelsea.

“Chelsea continued their process to find a new manager. The feeling at the club is that they are still at early stages, talking to candidates, representatives of candidates, and preparing the final list. But still nothing advanced, still nothing decided.”

In other news today..

Chelsea’s transfer of Joao Pedro worked out, and the club will surely try to repeat the trick this summer in the market. He’s been a rare example of buying proven quality for the here and now.

Chelsea have ruled out an attempt to bring Xavi Hernandez in as their new manager according to Ben Jacobs’ reporting today. What’s odd is that it was Jacobs who reported Chelsea made contact with Xavi just moments before he said this!?

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL CHELSEA NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON THE APP STORE

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

On the same day that manager Torey Lovullo called the entire starting rotation into his office to tell them they needed to pick up the pace, Dbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez did just that and then some. ERod put this team on his back tonight shutting down the Pirates offense taking some of the pressure off his team and allowing them to get back to .500 on Cinco de Mayo as they beat the Pirates 9-0.

Eduardo Rodriguez was commanding all of his pitches to all parts of the zone today. His final line was 7 innings pitched, allowing only 2 hits, while walking 3, and striking out 7.  Early in the game he did a great job of getting some strikeouts on the curveball low in the zone. The curve is a pitch that ERod has not used much historically but tonight it was critical. That low curveball opened up the top of the zone for his fastball later in the game which generated a 47% whiff rate striking out 4 Pirates hitters. In the words of Jim McLennan earlier on twitter, only 2 AZ pitchers this year have thrown 7 shutout innings and Eduardo Rodriguez is both of them. Tonight’s outing lowered ERod’s season ERA down to 2.50, far and away the best of the starting rotation and I don’t even have to check.

The Dbacks offense got off to a great start in this one pushing across 2 runs in the first inning also pushing Pirates starter Bubba Chandler to 38 pitches. The Pirates actually had their bullpen up in the first and would’ve likely pulled Chandler had 1 more batter reached in the inning. Rather than continue to focus on getting the Pirates starter out of the game, the Arizona offense would proceed to have the next 7 batters get retired in order. This game was looking like it was going to be closer as the offense failed to record a hit in innings 2-5, however their patient approach would pay off in the 6^th inning as they sent 9 men to the plate and scored 5 runs blowing the game open.

The offense did do a much better job tonight staying patient at the plate walking 7 times creating a lot of base traffic and setting up some timely hits. Certainly a positive sign for an offense that has been perhaps overly aggressive in recent weeks. The most timely of the hits were a pair of doubles in the 6^th inning by Gabi Moreno and Geraldo Perdomo. It was also great to see some of Ketel Marte’s early season tough like start to dissipate tonight as he hit a triple, a single, scored 2 runs, and 2 RBI. Tonight was a good example of what this offense can do when they take their walks and cut down on the chase.

This was only the 2^nd win of 5 or more runs this season. Certainly a welcome beginning of the homestand for a team that has played so many high leverage close games. All eyes will be on Michael Soroka tomorrow night as he faces Paul Skenes. If Soroka can get back to the form he showed earlier in the season and keep this momentum rolling in the starting rotation, that could be a big boost for this team. Perhaps we will be able to look back on today as the day the starting rotation got back on track following a timely group meeting? Let’s hope!

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jackson Merrill had three hits and drove in two runs, Xander Bogaerts homered and the San Diego Padres tied their season highs for hits with 14 and runs in a 10-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.

Sung-Mun Song had a two-run double — his first MLB hit — with two outs in the fourth, advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on Merrill's single to cap San Diego’s five-run inning and make it 6-4. Song, a 29-year-old South Korean infielder who signed with the Padres in December, was 2 for 4 with two runs scored and two RBIs.

Miguel Andujar singled, doubled and tripled and had an RBI, and Bogaerts and Nick Castellanos each drove in two runs.

Walker Buehler (2-2) gave up four runs and had five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings for the Padres, who snapped a six-game skid on Monday night with a 3-2 win on Monday night. San Diego is 40-23 against San Francisco, dating to the 2022 season.

Logan Webb (2-4) allowed six runs and seven hits in four innings for the Giants.

Jesús Rodriguez homered and drove in two runs for San Francisco. The 24-year-old catcher, who went 0 for 4 in his MLB debut Monday, got his first hit in the second inning with an RBI single and hit a solo shot in the seventh. Casey Schmitt hit a two-run homer in the first.

Up next

Padres RHP Matt Waldron (0-1, 9.88 ERA) starts Wednesday opposite Adrian Houser (0-3, 7.12) in the finale of a three-game series.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

The Houston Astros are going to be without shortstop Carlos Correa for the foreseeable future. 

Correa was a late scratch from the team’s 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night after he went down with an ankle injury during pregame warmups. Correa, according to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, injured his ankle while taking swings in a batting cage. 

Correa is set to meet with a foot specialist on Wednesday morning. While specifics of his injury are not yet known, the expectation is that he will be out indefinitely and could miss “weeks or maybe even months.” 

“Carlos is a cornerstone in this clubhouse,” Astros first baseman Christian Walker said, via MLB.com. “The guys lean on him. We look to him for leadership. I know that his presence will continue to be felt, but we’re just going to continue to pray for him and stay positive.”

Correa holds a .279 batting average this season with three home runs and 16 RBI. He went 0-for-4 in Monday’s 8-3 win over the Dodgers. 

Correa will be just the latest Astros player to land on the IL. Shortstop Jeremy Pena is still recovering from a fractured finger and hamstring strain, and opening day starters Yanier Diaz, Joey Loperfido and Jake Meyers have all gone down with various injuries. 

The Astros, after early home runs from Walker and Braden Shewmake, held on late to beat the Dodgers by a run on Tuesday night at Daikin Park. Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani spent seven innings on the mound and had eight strikeouts. 

The win pushed the Astros to 15-22 on the season. They’ve won four of their last six. The two sides will wrap up their three-game series Wednesday afternoon.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout, Jorge Soler and Zach Neto hit home runs, Ryan Zeferzahn worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning and the Los Angeles Angels held on for a 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.

Zeferjahn hit a batter and walked two in the ninth before retiring Edgar Quero on a groundout for his first save this season and his third in 10 career opportunities. The right-hander struck out rookie home run leader Munetaka Murakami — tied with the Yankees' Aaron Judge at 14 — with a runner on first to get the final out in the eighth.

Trout hit his 11th homer of the season and the 415th of his career with one out in the first off Erick Fedde (0-4) after Chicago scored two runs off Sam Aldegheri in the top half.

Soler followed with his eighth homer one out later to tie it 2-all.

Neto homered for the first time since April 10, a tiebreaking two-out shot in the fifth for his sixth of the season. Trout walked for the second time before scoring from first on a double by Nolan Schanuel to make it 4-2 and chase Fedde. Trout reached base four times with a single in the eighth.

Neto ended a 0-for-23 slump with a third-inning single before getting picked off.

Chase Meidroth hit his second homer leading off the seventh against Sam Bachman to get Chicago within 4-3. Both Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas extended their on-base streaks to 18 games for the Sox.

José Fermin (1-1) pitched a scoreless fifth for the win. Aldegheri allowed two runs on four hits in four innings in his sixth career start.

Fedde yielded four runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings.

The top four hitters in the Angels' lineup drove in a run for the first time since June 18, 2021, against the Tigers.

Up next

White Sox LHP Noah Schultz (2-1, 2.53) closes out the series Wednesday opposite Angels RHP Walbert Ureña (0-3, 3.86).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Pittsburgh at Arizona — SportsNet Pittsburgh, Dbacks.TV, ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited, MLB.TV

Sacramento at Philadelphia — FOX, FOX 5 Vegas, NBCS California, NBCS Philadelphia, ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited, Fubo Sports, MLB.TV

Carolina at Philadelphia — TNT

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV.

Tampa Bay at Boston — ESPN

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV.

Cleveland at Detroit — Prime Video

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV.

After an injury-hit 2025 season that still ended in a deep playoff run, the Indiana Fever are now entering the 2026 WNBA season with unfinished business. They’ve reinforced their roster, and most importantly, Caitlin Clark is healthy going into the season.

So, everything points to the Indiana Fever as genuine contenders this year. And after falling one step short last season, they will be looking to take that final step. As Caitlin Clark herself has said “I think we’re gonna be the favorite to win it all.”

Where They Finished Last Season

The Indiana Fever completed an unforgettable and deeply resilient 2025 campaign under head coach Stephanie White. They battled quite severe injury adversity. But they still had a reasonable finish. Specifically, they ended their regular season with a 24–20 record. That made them third in the Eastern Conference and sixth overall in the league.

And despite operating for significant stretches without Clark, they pushed the defending champion Las Vegas Aces all the way to a full five games in the WNBA semifinals. They also won the Commissioner’s Cup, defeating the Minnesota Lynx in the final.

Offseason Moves: Who’s In, Who’s Out

Like most WNBA teams, the Indiana Fever were far from idle during the offseason. In total, they brought in seven new key additions, four via free agency and three through the draft. They also re-signed five key members of their core and navigated five departures. Below is an outline of how the roster took shape.

Players Who Left Through Free Agency and The Expansion Draft

Players Brought in Through Free Agency and The Expansion Draft

Players Who Were Re-signed

Caitlin Clark entering her third year with the team, and Makayla Timpson, entering the second year of her original rookie contract were the only two returning players who remained under their existing contracts without needing renewals.

There are also two undrafted free agents, Megan McConnell, and Kayana Traylor, who are currently signed to training camp contracts and competing for roster spots.

Players to Watch

Of course, Caitlin Clark remains the biggest conversation starter on this Indiana Fever team. She was limited to just 13 games last season due injuries, and that really affected how their season turned out, however impressive it still was. Now, she returns at 100% health, which completely changes Indiana’s ceiling. A high-tempo offense driven by Clark has the potential to contend with the league’s top-tier teams.

Another key player to watch will be Aliyah Boston. Last season, with the backcourt depleted by injuries, she proved she could carry the team’s offense while anchoring the interior defense. Now, with Clark’s return drawing defensive pressure away from the paint, Boston becomes more free to dominate the glass and improve her interior scoring efficiency.

Raven Johnson, who came in as the 10th overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, is also definitely one to watch. As the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time NCAA champion, Johnson is a true lockdown perimeter defender. She provides elite on-ball pressure, which will help slow down the league’s elite scoring guards.

And of course, beyond these three, there’s also Kelsey Mitchell, who is the undeniable veteran engine of the Indiana Fever. She delivered the best season of her career last year, averaging a career-high 20.2 points per game. With the team even more balanced now, there’s no reason why she wouldn’t be churning out top performances again.

Strengths Heading Into the Season

The Indiana Fever will enter 2026 with one of the most dynamic offensive engines in the league. They have a fully healthy Caitlin Clark, who will fuel their high-tempo system. And alongside Clark is Kelsey Mitchell, who adds another scoring threat. The team has also significantly improved its frontcourt depth and rebounding. Aliyah Boston remains the anchor in the paint. However, the additions of Monique Billings and Myisha Hines-Allen now brings more athleticism, length, and veteran toughness.

Defensively, the Indiana Fever have also addressed their biggest weakness from last season with Rookie Raven Johnson. Her presence gives Indiana a true lockdown option against elite guards.

But perhaps the strongest advantage that the Fever have going into this season is the fact that they managed to retain the core of their team. While several teams across the league underwent major changes, Indiana retained the core of its rotation from last season’s semifinal run. That familiarity and established chemistry will definitely allow them to execute more efficiently from the start.

Questions That Need Answers

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Indiana Fever this season is simple; can Caitlin Clark stay healthy across all 44 games? She was limited to just 13 appearances last year due to groin and ankle-related issues. And even in a preseason game against the Dallas Wings, she had a brief injury scare after an awkward fall. While it didn’t result in anything serious, it brought a flash of reality, about how much Indiana’s ceiling depends on her availability. Of course, head coach Stephanie White has said expressly that she will be managed more carefully this season. But over a long and physically demanding schedule, her durability remains the single biggest variable.

Another area of concern would be whether the Indiana Fever can truly hold its own against the league’s elite teams, particularly the Las Vegas Aces. Last season’s semifinal matchup exposed gaps in their perimeter defense and overall defensive consistency. While the roster has improved on paper, those upgrades still need to translate into real, high-pressure game situations. That will ultimately determine whether they are genuine title contenders or just a step below.

What are the Season Prediction

With the performance they had last season, and the team they have now assembled, the Indiana fever are definitely top contenders for the WNBA title this season. Last season, they finished with a 24-20 record. This season, the most reasonable projection would be at least 30 wins.

From a playoff standpoint, the expectation is that Indiana will comfortably secure a postseason spot. And after pushing the eventual champion Aces to five games in the 2025 semifinals, without a fully healthy Caitlin Clark, the expectation now is that they could go a little further. The team has managed to retain the core players that played that semi final. They’ve also added more depth to the team. Alongside all that, Caitlin Clark is healthy. So, it wouldn’t be an overstatement to predict a WNBA Finals appearance for them this season.

The post Indiana Fever Season Look-Ahead: Caitlin Clark's Encore, a Deeper Roster, and Championship Ambitions appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Fans finally have the answer to why it all happened! Three weeks ago, the Golden State Valkyries drafted Flau’jae Johnson as the No. 8 overall pick, and while everyone felt like it was a perfect fit, the franchise went on to swap her rights with the Seattle Storm for the rights to the No. 16 pick, Marta Suarez, and a 2028 second-round pick. However, when the Valkyries’ GM was asked why? All she had to say was, “I’m going to take a beat to be able to eloquently give a response.” However, that was back then because Ohemaa Nyanin has revealed the behind-the-scenes for this move.

During the Valkyries’ media day, the General Manager pointed her finger at cap flexibility.

“The decision-making around the draft had a lot to do with cap flexibility. We had the opportunity, or we thought we had the opportunity, to potentially sign another athlete,” she said.

As per the new CBA, first-round pick Flau’jae Johnson was all set to receive $309,622 in her first season, which would total up to $1,386,092 over four years. But because of the trade, they saved around $40,000, as Saurez would get only $270,000.

Though after the draft, the Valkyries had close to $750,000 of cap space, they ended up spending the majority of that re-signing Tiffany Hayes. So with the goal to “sign as many as returners as possible,” and long-term flexibility in mind, the Golden State front office went down this path. That mindset also stems from the fact that this franchise has already lost two key players. So reflecting on the expansion draft, Nyanin didn’t hide her disappointment and said, “Expansion draft was pretty sad. We lost two elite athletes in María Conde and Carla Leite.”

Leite had already shown promise as a rotation guard, averaging 7.2 points and 2.0 assists across 37 games, while Conde represented a high-upside international piece the team never got to integrate. So in that light, the push for flexibility starts to look like a front office trying to stay prepared after already taking a hit.

“My job, very specifically, is to make sure that we maintain an understanding of what’s happening today and then what could happen in the future. And so the flexibility, that is needed to be able to withstand whatever could happen in the future,” she further added.

But does that make fans feel any better? Most probably not, because the Valkyries then went on to waive Suarez.

The Player They Wanted… Until They Didn’t

It took a while, but fans were finally coming to terms with a move that didn’t make any sense. Because it felt like it was Marta Suarez that the franchise wanted all along.

“Marta is fierce. She’s fearless,” Nyanin said after the trade. “We have looked at her for a really long time. … She has a very high basketball IQ. Her high character is off the charts. … We felt like she would be a great fit.”

She even played for the Valkyries in the preseason, where she dropped 5 points, 3 rebounds, an assist, and a steal in 14 minutes. But then, three days ago, the Valkyries went on to make another move that has left everyone baffled.

They waived six players in one go, which also included Suárez. Yes, they have waived the very player they traded Flau’jae Johnson for. And alongside her was:

But why? The short answer is – this team is still trying to understand the new CBA.

“There are a lot of things that we need to take into consideration when it comes to the status of an athlete, where it comes to their years of experience, etc. And I think that there’s more to come. There’s a lot more to think through in the next 48 hours,” she added. So from their 2026 draft class, the only player they still hold rights to is Kokoro Tanaka from Japan, whose name isn’t even on the active roster.

However, the good news is – the Valkyries can still keep Marta Suarez even if she doesn’t make the main team right now. Under the new rules, teams are allowed to have two extra “developmental” players apart from the usual 12-player roster. These players can train with the team and even play in up to 12 games during the season. So, even if Suarez isn’t on the main roster, she could still stay with the team and get chances later.

At the same time, while the Valkyries try to make sense of all this mess, Johnson is already carving out her own path with the Storm.

Flau’jae Johnson Turns the Page Quickly in Seattle

If there were any doubts about how Johnson would adjust to her new team, she’s already answering them on the court. In just two preseason outings (ironically, one against the very Golden State Valkyries team that traded her), Johnson has put up a strong early impression. Across games against the Valkyries and the Portland Fire, she dropped a combined 32 points in just 43 minutes, showcasing the scoring ability that once made her look like a perfect fit in Golden State.

So in Seattle, there is nothing but excitement around her potential. “We’re really excited about how she aligns and helps us this year, but also is going to be a really important piece for us as we’re building for the future,” the Storm GM Talisa Rhea admitted.

And it’s easy to see why. Flau’jae Johnson is coming off a strong final season at LSU, where she averaged 14.2 points while shooting nearly 40% from beyond the arc, so she is expected to carry that same rhythm into the pros, and so far she hasn’t disappointed.

With the regular season set to tip off on May 8, the Storm will open against none other than the Valkyries, so Johnson will get a chance to face her former team again. And this time, it won’t just be about proving a point; it’ll be about setting the tone for what can be expected from her and the Storm in the 2026 WNBA season.

The post Valkyries GM Reveals Key Flau’Jae Johnson Trade Factor Amid Expansion Draft Regret Confession appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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The tumultuous offseason is in the rearview now as the confetti prepares for the 30th season of the WNBA. The strategy rooms are busy drawing out maps for the upcoming few months as every team tips off their season with one generic dream that every franchise should have- the coveted WNBA title. Now, basketball is, of course, a team sport, and it can only be won when five players contribute. But is that so simple? Possibly not.

Because we’ve seen over the years that there are certain players who, by themselves, can pull off a team in a single season. Just like a 41-year-old LeBron James is pulling an injury-laden LA Lakers team through the playoffs, there are players who can do the same role for their teams as well when the need arises for them. Without much delay, let’s get to the crux of it and identify the players from each franchise who can decide the team’s fate in the 2026 season.

Las Vegas Aces

First off, let’s talk about the champions- the Aces, who are curating a dynasty of their own in the WNBA. To be honest, there isn’t much to think about in this regard, as most would have already guessed that their season-determining player will be A’ja Wilson, and if anybody has any doubts in this regard, they might be living under a rock in the last few years.

23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.6 steals were Wilson’s numbers last year in the regular season that literally carried the Aces from being 12-13 at one point in time in the season to concluding it 30-14. That’s the level of impact a meaningful season for Wilson can have for the Aces. But just like every Batman needs a Robin, Wilson needs support around her as well, and to be exact, she has two in this regard- Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young.

Like Wilson, Gray and Young have been seasoned campaigners for a few years now. They have won three WNBA titles in the last four years, and as they set their sights on a historic fourth, the trio will yet again be their make-or-break players.

New York Liberty

With a star-studded roster, there can’t be a single player who can determine Liberty’s success this season. They did a pretty good job in the free agency, retaining their Big Three with ease. And naturally, the trio will eventually determine the team’s bottom line this season. Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones are all experienced campaigners and even tasted Championship success together in 2024.

All of them scored over 12 points per game last year, with Stewart leading the charts in 18.3. Besides that, name any metric you can from the season, and you’ll find that the Big Three have already established their stamp on it. Another popular opinion in this regard might be Satou Sabally. who, in her own right, can get in the conversation.

Fresh off a stint with the Phoenix Mercury last year, Sabally is buzzing with individual success (16.3 points and 5.9 rebounds last season). Additionally, she isn’t just a regular forward who scores and rebounds; she also possesses impeccable scoring ability (over 41% from the field in her career), like a guard, and if she can sync well with the team’s Big Three, the team will be one to reckon with in the coming season.

Indiana Fever

The first name that anybody can possibly think of for the Fever is Caitlin Clark. Now, many can argue that even without CC, the franchise reached the playoffs last season. Yes, that’s a valid argument. But if you can look at the impact that Clark creates just by being on the court, it doesn’t have a substitute in the Fever team. In most instances, she will be Fever’s ball handler and will, from time to time, launch those three-pointers from the half-court, making her hard to stop when she gets going.

Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston are the other two vital cogs for the Indiana Fever team. Mitchell (20.2 points in 2025 with over 45% from the field), similar to Clark (16.6 points last season) will shoulder the backcourt for the team. On the other hand, Boston will bring that physical presence and dominance on the boards for Fever, giving the team an edge in possessions at times and even bulldozing opponents herself.

Minnesota Lynx

In Lynx, you largely can’t look beyond Napheesa Collier. For most seasons in the last few years, Collier has been the Lynx’s crown jewel. Of course, she is the team’s primary scorer, averaging over 20 points per game with ease this season. But not to forget, she contributes equally with rebounds, leading the team last season with an average of 6.8.

But the major caveat is that Collier will miss the first few Lynx games while recovering from ankle surgery. In her absence, especially and even in stretches of the season, Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride will have to shoulder a bit of responsibility as well, and were allies of Collier last season. Besides these players, their rookie Olivia Miles can also be an interesting prospect to watch out for the Lynx in the upcoming year.

Atlanta Dream

For many years, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray have been the cornerstones of the Atlanta Dream franchise. Even last season, the duo did most of the heavy lifting in the team’s run to the playoffs, combining for around 36 points per game in the season. For all money, they will yet again be the deciding factors for the team, but the twist is they aren’t alone this year, as the team will have the services of Angel Reese in the frontcourt.

Reese’s trade in the early phases of free agency caused a great stir in the community. It isn’t just because of how her association with the Chicago Sky ended, but also because of how seamlessly Reese would fit into the franchise. Now, it’s well known that the Reese, a two-time WNBA Rebounding leader, brings a strong frontcourt presence, and that’s exactly what the Dream wanted.

With Gray and Howard overlooking the perimeters, and Reese taking care of the boards, the trio can by themselves be the decisive factors of the team.

Dallas Wings

At Dallas, there is a bit of tussling between Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale. Now, Ogunbowale is, of course, the veteran who has guided the team for years now. And rightly so, a decorated career with Wings, boasting around 19.9 ppg and 4.0 assists in her career, is enough to add weight to her side of the debate. But Bueckers is the new sheriff in Dallas, and her numbers from last year (19.2 ppg) and her WNBA Rookie of the Year-winning season also echo a similar sentiment.

But for the Wings, you can’t even count out players like Aziaha Jame, or defensively standout players like Alanna Smith, or even their No.1 draft pick, Azzi Fudd, because they all, in their own right, have been proven game-winners in the past.

Los Angeles Sparks

For the LA Sparks, their ceiling depends on a single player- Kelsey Plum. Coming off a successful individual run with the team, boasting over 19 points per game, Plum will be the go-to player for the franchise yet again. The Sparks haven’t had a great run in the last few years and have missed playoff runs quite consistently, and Plum will look to change it this season.

On top of Plum, the Sparks will also see the homecoming of Nneka Ogwumike, after serving a stint with the Seattle Storm. Undoubtedly, the veteran duo will be one to reckon with in the coming season. The 35-year-old is coming off a steller season with the Sparks, scoring 18.3 points per game in the regular season. She has also showcased impressive form amid her return to the Sparks, scoring 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists in the only preseason game she played against the Portland Fire.

They have lost some veterans in Rickea Jackson and Azura Stevens, diminishing the team’s depth. But Dearica Hamby (18.4 points per game last season) is still on the team and will be an able aide to Plum going into the season.

Seattle Storm

For Storm, their fate in the season depends on the young players. For instance, Dominique Malonga and Ezi Magbegor will be the team’s major trump cards. Malonga and Magbegor are quite experienced and will have to take the reins of the team after the departures of veterans like Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith.

They played a majorly supportive role last season, scoring around 7 points each, with Magbegor also leading the team in blocks. But subsequently, their role will be immensely greater this season, where they will have to call the shots on the court at times. Their rookies- Flau’jae Johnson and Awa Fam will also be vital in this regard as well. Johnson has already showcased flashes of what she can do in the preseason games, scoring a team-high 20 points against the Portland Fire.

Connecticut Sun

Brittney Griner might be 35 years old, but she will still be bossing the court for the Sun this season. It’s true that her minutes were limited with the Atlanta Dream last season, but the sheer class she brings has no alternative. And her 16 points in the preseason game against a star-studded NY Liberty team just adds weight to the fact that her scoring prowess hasn’t left her.

In Sun, she might again come alive and score over 15 points per game in the season. With Griner, Aaliyah Edwards, too, will play a part in her own way with her fierce shooting (47.3% career wise) and all-around game on the court.

Chicago Sky

After Angel Reese’s departure, the Chicago Sky were in search of a franchise player they could rely on to deliver. And that search brought them to Skylar Diggins-Smith, a veteran who has proved her mettle time and again, with a career that boasts 16.4 ppg and 5.3 assists. It might be a new start for Diggins-Smith, but for a player like her, it won’t take long to translate her prowess on the court.

Rickea Jackson and Courtney Vandersloot are among the other players whose performances can decide Sky’s fate. But there’s another name as well, who also happens to be their latest free agent signing, Natasha Cloud. Coming off a season with the NY Liberty, Cloud is a dependable backcourt player who averaged over 10 points and 5 assists per game last season, and she can just pick up where she left off with the Sky.

Washington Mystics

Having lost players like Brittney Sykes, the Mystics will rely heavily on Shakira Austin this season. Austin has already solidified her footing as a formidable forward, scoring 12.7 points and 6.4 rebounds last season. Besides that, Austin will be supported majorly by a young core, including Lauren Betts, Angela Dugalic, and Cotie McMahon, who are coming off impressive collegiate seasons.

Phoenix Mercury

DeWanna Bonner and Kahleah Cooper will be the go-to players for the Mercury in the season. Both of them are quite experienced and have proved their mettle time and again. Last season, both scored over 10 points per game, and this season, the team’s offensive output will rest on their shoulders. Alyssa Thomas and Sami Whitcomb will also provide immense depth to their roster and will definitely have a say in their season ceiling.

Golden State Valkyries

ForValkyries, they have a major veteran in Gabby Williams at their disposal, whom they roped in during free agency. Williams, having played for the Seattle Storm for the last four years and for the Chicago Sky for three years prior to that, is immensely experienced and will be a go-to player for the Valkyries this season. Besides that, the team will also have Veronica Burton at its disposal, who led the team in scoring last season, averaging just over 11 points per game. Other players who can make a major impact for the Valkyries in the season include Kaitlyn Chen and Tiffany Hayes.

Toronto Tempo

Being a new team, the Toronto Tempo have an array of talents who will have a say on how their debut season goes. Marina Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes both scored over 14 points per game last season and will bring the same sort of form this season as well. Nyara Sabally and Temi Fagbenie will also bring a substantial depth to the roster and will add to Mabrey and Sykes’ veteran presence on the court.

Portland Fire

Bridget Carleton will be one of the major players who will shoulder the responsibility of fire in the season. Having played for the Minnesota Lynx over the last few years, Carleton has vast experience, and, as a result, the Fire’s output will be on one shoulder. Besides Carleton, the Fire will also have the services of Megan Gustafson and Carla Leite in the 2026 season.

The post Key Players That Can Make or Break Each WNBA Team Ahead Of The 2026 Season appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Rocky Thompson was asked to turn around the Bridgeport Islanders after a disastrous 2024-25 season. It was no easy task considering the team won 15 games all season with only four wins at home. He brought a winning culture to the New York Islanders American Hockey League team as they finished the season with the fourth-best record in the Atlantic Division, with their young team taking significant strides forward at the end of the season. 

The Islanders rewarded him for it. They promoted him to the NHL team as an assistant coach on Peter DeBoer’s staff. “He’s a brilliant coach, he’s so smart with his structure,” Chris Terry noted at the end of the season, after the team secured a home playoff game, the last in Bridgeport. The move brings Thompson back to the NHL as the AHL team enters the Hamilton, Ontario era.  

This is the Best Option for the Islanders 

This move keeps Thompson on their staff, and he won’t leave the AHL team for another opportunity. It’s easy to assume he wouldn’t have done that but it’s better to be safe than sorry. The Hartford Wolf Pack fired Grant Potulny earlier in the week and needs a coach to come in and clean up the mess, something Thompson did with the neighboring Connecticut rival (and New York NHL rival)

You May Also Like: Hartford’s Struggles Reflect New York Rangers Organizational Failure 

Thompson is also a good coach to have around for a younger team, especially a team that retooled on the fly this season. It’s unclear if the Islanders are leaning into a retool or pushing to contend or attempting both at the same time. Regardless of the direction, the Islanders have a youth movement on the way, and it’s good to have Thompson around for that. 

Related: AHL Notebook: Easton Cowan, Cleveland, Calder Cup Battles & More 

He’s not an X’s and O’s coach or a coach who is brought in because of the system he runs. Instead, Thompson is someone players want to play for, and they play above expectation under his watch. That’s all the Islanders need. DeBoer will handle the systems, while Thompson will be a motivational voice behind the bench. 

Hamilton as an Attractive Destination

It would have been crazy to say a year ago that the Islanders are an appealing spot for a head coach. However, they are the ideal team for a young up-and-coming coach to come in and take them to the next level, both as a Calder Cup contender and a development factory for the NHL team. 

The Islanders are a lot like the Philadelphia Flyers and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms from last season. They have a lot of the right pieces in place, and after a step forward this season, they just need a coach to pick up where the previous one left off. In the Phantoms case, it was John Snowden developing the prospects to turn the rebuilding Flyers into a playoff team. In the Islanders' case, it will be a coach who can develop the prospects to join the roster by midseason. 

Even if Victor Eklund is on the NHL team next season, a safe assumption considering how he played down the stretch, there’s a good chance Cole Eiserman is on the AHL team. Likewise, the Islanders have a handful of other prospects to work with and round things out at the AHL level. 

The Islanders can find an experienced coach to come right in and pick up where Thompson left off. Hamilton is also a good place to lure in a coach from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) who is young and poised to be in the NHL someday. Jay McKee of the Brantford Bulldogs or Greg Walters of the Windsor Spitfires can take that next step soon enough. The move from junior hockey to the AHL is a tough adjustment, especially considering how coaches at both levels are young and not ready to make that big move. Going from one part of Ontario to another is an easier transition. 

Islanders AHL Coaching Candidates. 

The experienced coach who stands out is Ian Lapperriere. He coached the Phantoms from 2021 until 2025 and is currently a scout for the Islanders. The irony is that he’s a great coach to take a team from point A to point B, specifically, to build up a team into what the Islanders are now. That said, they know what they’re getting if they hire him. 

The Islanders can also promote someone internally. David Cunniff is the assistant who checks that box. He’s someone players love to play for. The only two issues with Cunniff are that he’s the assistant moving into the head coaching role, which is known as the good-cop bad-cop adjustment, plus he’s 55 in a league that always looks for youth behind the bench. 

One fascinating name to keep in mind is Chris Terry. Terry is a 37-year-old veteran who has been in the organization for years. The next logical step after years of being a leader in the locker room is becoming a leader behind the bench. “I love the game. I love the experiences I’ve had. I’ve had a lot of different coaches and long-time mentors. So, I feel like I have a wealth of knowledge to put to use after hockey, whenever that is,” he mentioned in a conversation with The Hockey News. Even if he’s not the head coach, an assistant role can be in the works for the longtime Islander. 

The Islanders have a fascinating future ahead of them. Thompson's move to the NHL team makes the Hamilton era a haze right now but with the right coach, the team will only build on what he started. 

Sung-Mun Song made his MLB debut in Mexico City against the Arizona Diamondbacks when the San Diego Padres added him to their roster as the 27th man. Song made an appearance as a pinch runner but did not do much more than that. Song changed that in his first MLB start when he hit a two-run double to left-center field to give the Padres a 5-4 lead in the top of the fourth inning against the San Francisco Giants.

The double by Song was part of a five-run fourth inning for the Padres against Giants starter Logan Webb. San Diego entered the top of the fourth trailing 4-1, but after scoring five runs to take a two-run lead, they never looked back while earning a 10-5 win at Oracle Park Tuesday night.

Walker Buehler started on the mound for the Padres and surrendered two runs in the bottom of the first inning on a Casey Schmitt two-run home run. San Diego answered in the top of the second inning when Xander Bogaerts hit a solo home run to left field, but Buehler returned to the mound in the bottom of the second and quickly surrendered two more runs to San Francisco, giving them a 4-1 lead. Buehler settled in after the second and completed 5.1 innings allowing four runs on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts.

The new-look Padres offense continued to apply pressure to Giants pitchers, scoring runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings. Jackson Merrill was 3-for-5 with two runs scored two RBI and a stolen base from the leadoff spot. Miguel Andujar batted third and finished 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, a run scored and an RBI. Gavin Sheets and Xander Bogaerts each finished 2-for-5 batting in the fourth and sixth spots respectively with Sheets adding a stolen base and Bogaerts opening the San Diego scoring with a solo home run in the second.

Perhaps the most notable change to the Padres lineup was Fernando Tatis Jr., who moved from the first or second spot in the lineup for much of the season, all the way down to fifth. Tatis Jr. finished 1-for-5 with a run scored.

San Diego will look to win the series when the two teams meet Wednesday at 12:45 p.m.

Veteran defensive lineman Zacch Pickens was never expected to be the Kansas City Chiefs' most important pass-rusher next season, but most pundits thought he would at least get the opportunity to compete for a spot on the team's 53-man roster in training camp.

Instead, Pickens was among the veterans who found themselves on the outside looking in when Kansas City's front office signed three first-year prospects after impressive tryouts at the Chiefs' rookie camp.

Luckily for Pickens, the New York Giants were in need of some help on their defensive line, and moved quickly to claim the former third-round pick shortly after Kansas City elected to waive him.

We have claimed DL Zacch Pickens off waivers

Details: https://t.co/GvwepTJak7pic.twitter.com/T7OBZiGmOx

— New York Giants (@Giants) May 5, 2026

While every team in the NFL could use some help with their defensive lines, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach recently addressed Kansas City's front four by selecting former Clemson Tigers standout Peter Woods and Oklahoma Sooners sack-master R Mason Thomas with the No. 29 and No. 40 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, respectively.

This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Zacch Pickens: Former Chiefs DL claimed by Giants after rookie camp

This was never going to be an easy series for the Minnesota Wild. After going through six rough, physical games against the Dallas Stars, the Wild entered the series without Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin.

Against a high-flying offense like the Colorado Avalanche, those are probably two of the last guys you’d want to lose to injury. They may or may not return when the series shifts to Minnesota, but either way, their plan of attack against Colorado right now just isn’t doing it.

The Avalanche scored a franchise-record nine goals in Game 1 — eight of which were on goalie Jesper Wallstedt. They followed it up with four against Filip Gustavsson and another empty netter to win 5-2 on Tuesday to take a 2-0 series lead. Suddenly, the third game of this series matters that much more for the Wild. The pressure is on them not to fall completely behind.

To put it in simple terms, they’re giving the Avalanche way too much room to skate. In the first period of Game 2, MacKinnon seemed to have more rush attacks than he did in any game against Los Angeles. We also saw this in Game 1 from both him and Martin Necas.

The Wild struggled on the penalty kill against the Stars, and that has continued. The Avalanche weren’t all that great on the PP this year, but they improved immensely after the Olympic break. Against Minnesota, they’re 3-for-7, though they gave up a shorthanded goal on one of their failed opportunities. Colorado is also 5-for-5 on the penalty kill, on a full 10 minutes of PK time throughout the series.

Please consider donating to the Colorado Hockey Now Playoff Travel Fund to help our beat writer continue his coverage from road games in Minnesota: PAYPAL or VENMO

10 Takeaways

1. You’re not going to lose a lot of games when Nathan MacKinnon is playing like this, if you’re the Avalanche. He had one point through the first three games against the Los Angeles Kings. Since then, he’s put up three points in three consecutive games. Against the Wild, MacKinnon has two goals and four assists for a total of six points on the 14 goals Colorado has.

2. Martin Necas scored a beautiful opening goal, giving him five points in this series. It wasn’t noticeable in the opening round, but this looks like a series where Necas is doing the Mikko Rantanen thing, riding shotgun with MacKinnon shift after shift and being another superstar that can produce.

Head coach Jared Bednar had a great response when asked about Necas’ playoff production, as he works through the reputation he had in Carolina of not being much of a playoff producer. Here’s his full response:

“Some of the criticisms on Marty from his younger years prior to being here, they may have been valid. Marty and I talked about this. Byt just because something’s true one day doesn’t make it true the next. And especially over time, Marty, he’s put in a lot of hard work to be a trusted player on our team defensively. It was one of the talks we had when he got here, and a handful of times after that.

“If you’re going to play with Nate and play against opposition’s best guys every night, I got to be able to trust you. You can’t play there, no matter how good you are offensively, right? So he buys into that. The style, the players he plays with, it’s important that he’s on that line, because he helps them a lot, and his game has grown, you know? So I think those criticisms now are invalid.”

3. Jake Middleton has been on the ice for nine goals against, while Jared Spurgeon has seen eight Avalanche goals go in. That’s Minnesota’s second pair without Brodin available. Wild head coach John Hynes said he’s going to look at changing up the pairings but I’m not sure how many options he has without Brodin. I doubt you’re breaking up your top pair of Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber. And the third pair, whether Zach Bogosian, Jeff Petry, or Daemon Hunt, don’t play all that much.

4. I know Kirill Kaprizov had the first Wild goal, but they’re going to need a lot more from him and Matt Boldy in this series. Those two guys, along with Hughes, are far and away the three guys that need to carry the team. Hughes has been fine. He was better on Sunday than in Game 2.

But Kaprizov and Boldy have to do more. Especially Boldy.

5. Speaking of which, the best save, by far, was Scott Wedgewood robbing Kaprizov on the doorstep on the Minnesota power play early in the third period. Just a spectacular save to keep the Avalanche ahead by two goals.

6. I said it after Game 1 and I’ll say it again. The Wild stand no chance in this series if they can’t stop the Avs’ rush attack. Allowing MacKinnon that much space in two games isn’t a recipe for success. I’m curious to see how Minnesota looks on home ice — if Hynes getting the last change makes a difference.

As of right now, he hasn’t found a way to contain the Avs’ speed.

7. I know the 2022 Nashville Predators weren’t that great of a team as the second wildcard, but Bednar is now 6-0 against Hynes in the postseason. He and the Avs swept Hynes’ Predators in the opening round in 2022. It’s quite the change from facing (and losing to) Pete DeBoer seemingly every year or so.

8. For what it’s worth, Parker Kelly absolutely got away with accidentally punching the linesman in the face during one of those scrums in front of the net.

9. When Nic Roy scored to make it 3-1, he became the 11th different Avalanche skater to score a goal in the series. And it came just over 81 minutes into the series. I’ve seen overtimes go longer than that without any one goal scorer, let alone 11 different guys on one team.

Valeri Nichushkin’s empty-netter broke a record, as the Avalanche became the first team in NHL history to have 12 different goal scorers in the first two games of a series.

Rather than list the guys who scored, it would be quicker and easier to name the six who still haven’t. It’s Brock Nelson, Ross Colton, Logan O’Connor, Parker Kelly, Brent Burns, and Brett Kulak. I’m not listing them to call them out. More doing it because it’s actually hilarious that we’re two games into this series and 12 of 18 skaters have a goal.

10. Speaking of Roy, he had the quote of the night after the game. He was asked how to not let the emotions of a 2-0 series lead get to you when there is still work to be done.

His response: “Never too high, never too low. I think that’s what I got in mind. I mean, enjoy it a little bit today, rest tomorrow and go back to practice. Look at what you you can do better from from the game today, and go from there.”

The post 10 Takeaways: The Wild Aren’t Doing Enough To Stop the Avalanche appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

The San Francisco Giants were unable to overcome an early deficit Tuesday, falling 10-5 to the San Diego Padres after a difficult start from Logan Webb set the tone.

Webb labored through four innings, surrendering six earned runs on seven hits while striking out four. A solo home run from Xander Bogaerts highlighted the damage as consistent hard contact plagued the right-hander throughout the outing.

Though he did not issue a walk and threw 40 of his 62 pitches for strikes, Webb struggled to miss bats or limit traffic, exiting before completing five innings.

The outing continued a trend of inconsistency for Webb, who now holds an ERA north of 5.00 through his first stretch of starts this season. While his ability to pound the strike zone remains intact, opposing hitters have repeatedly capitalized, putting balls in play at a high rate and limiting his effectiveness.

Offensively, the Giants showed early life. Casey Schmitt delivered a two-run homer in the first inning to give San Francisco a quick boost. The lineup added on in the second, with Jesús Rodríguez contributing an RBI single and Jung Hoo Lee bringing in another run on a fielder’s choice.

Rodríguez continued to stand out, later launching a solo home run in the seventh inning, offering a bright spot for a Giants offense that has searched for consistency.

FINAL: Padres 10, #SFGiants 5

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) May 6, 2026

His recent contributions come at a crucial time, particularly as the team integrates him within the lineup as he collected his first major-league hit in the contest on Tuesday night.

The Giants were without Luis Arraez, who was held out due to minor soreness. The absence of one of the club’s more reliable bats further underscored the lineup’s uneven production.

San Francisco’s bullpen was unable to stabilize the game after Webb’s exit. JT Brubaker allowed a run while working through traffic in his inning of relief, issuing two walks alongside two hits.

Ryan Borucki followed with a run allowed in the sixth, and Gregory Santos surrendered two more over his two innings of work as the Padres extended their lead.

Despite a handful of offensive flashes, the Giants were unable to mount a sustained comeback after Rodríguez’s homer. The loss drops San Francisco to 14-22 on the season, including an 8-10 mark at home.

With the series now even, the Giants will turn to Adrian Houser in the finale, while the Padres are expected to counter with knuckleballer Matt Waldron.

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SEATTLE (AP) — Matt Olson hit the go-ahead homer in the ninth, Bryce Elder pitched six strong innings, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Mauricio Dubón had a two-run double and Ozzie Albies extended his hit streak to 17 games to tie the franchise record. He is tied for the league lead in hits with 47.

Dylan Lee struck out the side in the seventh, Robert Suarez (3-0) worked the eighth and Raisel Iglesias, recently activated from the injured list, got his sixth save for the league-leading Braves.

Elder had his fifth quality start in eight games. He allowed two runs on two hits, yielding a two-run homer to J.P. Crawford in the fourth. He lowered his ERA to 2.02 ERA, which ranks fourth in the National League.

Olson hit his 300th home run in Monday’s 5-4 loss, becoming the 166th player to reach the milestone. He hit his 301st in the top of the ninth, sending Andrés Muñoz’s (3-3) slider 412-feet for a solo shot to give Atlanta a 3-2 lead.

Olson, batting .308 and a 1.077 OPS, leads the NL in home runs (13) and RBIs (33). The native of Atlanta has a career 159 home runs with the Braves after spending his first six seasons with the Athletics.

George Kirby pitched seven innings for Seattle, surrendering two runs on five hits while striking out five. Three of those hits came in the fourth. Albies and Olson each singled before they scored on Dubón’s two-out double down the right field line.

Up next

LHP Martín Pérez (2-1, 2.22 ERA) starts the series final Wednesday for the Braves, RHP Bryan Woo (1-2, 4.61) pitches for the Mariners.

___

This story has been corrected to reflect that Elder had his fifth quality start of the season, not sixth.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

PHOENIX (AP) — Eduardo Rodriguez gave up just two hits over seven strong innings, Geraldo Perdomo added a two-run double and the Arizona Diamondbacks cruised past the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-0 on Tuesday night.

The D-backs used a five-run sixth inning to take a 7-0 lead. Gabriel Moreno hit an RBI double down the right-field foul line, Perdomo added his two-run double, Ketel Marte hit an RBI groundout and Corbin Carroll brought home the final run on a sacrifice fly.

Pittsburgh reliever Yohan Ramirez was tagged for all five runs and recorded just one out.

Rodriguez (3-0) didn’t give up a hit until the fifth inning when Jared Triolo lined a two-out single to left. The veteran left hander struck out seven and walked three. The performance was a welcome sight for the D-backs, who came in with a 5.07 ERA, which was the worst mark in the National League.

The D-backs jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning after Adrian Del Castillo's sacrifice fly and Ildemaro Vargas' RBI double. The 34-year-old Vargas — who was recently named MLB's NL Player of the Month for March/April — has a .377 batting average and a 1.051 OPS this season.

Pittsburgh's Bubba Chandler (1-4) fought control issues all night, giving up two runs over five innings. He gave up just two hits, but walked six and struck out four.

The Pirates were without reliever Chris Devenski, who was suspended two games and fined by Major League Baseball for intentionally throwing at Cincinnati Reds rookie Sal Stewart on Saturday.

Manager Don Kelly was suspended one game because of the incident and also missed Tuesday's contest. Bench coach Kristopher Negron replaced him.

Up next

The D-backs will start RHP Michael Soroka (4-1, 4.70 ERA) on Wednesday while the Pirates counter with RHP Paul Skenes (4-2, 3.18).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

LeBron James states the obvious as the Lakers' offense struggles without Luka Doncic originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Lakers are down 1-0 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals. Head coach JJ Redick's Lakers squad managed only 90 points compared to the defending champions' 108.

While the Lakers made it competitive at times, they were utterly outclassed, especially because their offense has its limits. LeBron James has addressed the elephant in the room: Luka Doncic's absence due to injury.

LeBron James knows Luka Doncic's  absence is the Lakers' big problem

The Lakers managed to beat the Rockets on the back of a LeBron masterclass. At 41, most people would think an athlete would fall off, but King James is like most athletes who struggle against Father Time.

It seems LeBron is playing around against Father Time, which is why he keeps succeeding even if he is older. Despite their success, LeBron does know he has limits now, which could be solved by playing alongside Doncic.

MORE: Why Luka Doncic continues to sit on the sidelines for the Lakers

Throughout the 2025-26 season, it became clear that the  Lakers are Doncic's team. LeBron has accepted that, which is why he was willing to go with Redick's Doncic-focused system. 

Since Doncic is still out injured, it is up to James and Austin Reaves to step up. However, the four-time MVP and Finals MVP knows Doncic is sorely missed.

"The offensive issues coming from? We have a guy who averaged 37 a game. There are issues right there. We're playing against the #1 best defensive team in the NBA, and when you play against a great defense, you need to have guys that can attract multiple defenders," James said about Doncic being a sorely missed presence.

Moving forward, LeBron and the rest of the Lakers organization would prefer having Doncic around because they are severely lacking firepower against the defending champions.

More NBA news:

• A potential timeline for Luka Doncic's return to the  Lakers roster
• How Austin Reaves' contract could raise a dilemma for the Lakers
• NBA referee James Williams has fans concerned about his officiating history
• LeBron James and the Lakers' odds of winning are at a historical low against the Thunder
• LeBron James reveals the secret behind the Lakers' mindset in Game 6 win against Houston

MASON, Mich. (WLNS) – The postseason is nearing for high school spring sports across the state of Michigan, and league championships were won on Tuesday.

The CAAC Red track and field meet saw the Williamston boys and Mason girls take first place. For the Bulldogs, this is the 10th straight year they’ve won the CAAC Red.

Check out the highlights in the video above, with the details below.

Haslett’s Christina Dixon won the 200-meter dash with a season-best time of 26.32 seconds. Dixon would then help the Vikings’ 4×400 relay team, with Mya Muhammad, Madison Muhammad and Alexis Turner, take first place with a personal-best 4:13.54.

Lansing Eastern captured first in the boys version of the 4×400 race thanks to Koamir Muhamad, Jontae Rosario, Asa Pumphrey and Zadien Harris running a personal-best 3:34.42.

St. Johns standout runner Ava Schafer won the 3200-meter race with a time of 11:46.28, and Willimatson senior Raymond Herek won it on the boys side with a personal-best 9:55.05.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — View scores from across KELOLAND down below.

MLB
Minnesota 11 Washington 3 F

NHL
Minnesota 2 Colorado 5 F

HSBB
Washington 10 Tea 5 F
Mitchell 7 Roosevelt 3 F
Jefferson 4 Lincoln 3 F
Sioux Falls Christian 11 Baltic 0 F
Belle Fourche 10 St. Thomas More 5 F
Washington 7 Tea 1 F
Spearfish 11 Sturgis Brown 5 F
O’Gorman 12 Brookings 7 F
Clark Area 2 Groton Area 1 F
Roosevelt 7 Mitchell 5 F
Vermillion 10 Parkston 1 F
Brookings 4 O’Gorman 3 F
Jefferson 3 Harrisburg 2 F

HSSB
McCook Central/Montrose 18 Kingsbury County 1 F
West Central 10 Lincoln 9 F
Sioux Falls Christian 17 Colman-Egan 1 F
Flandreau 14 Clark/Willow Lake 4 F
O’Gorman 17 Brandon Valley 13 F
Lennox 11 Baltic 1 F
Washington 6 Tea 0 F
Jefferson 21 Mitchell 0 F

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.

The Minnesota Wild’s goalie change didn’t help all that much. For the second consecutive game, the Colorado Avalanche scored a flurry of goals early, this time defeating the Wild 5-2 on Tuesday with Filip Gustavsson between the pipes. Colorado leads the second-round series 2-0 and is a perfect 6-0 in the postseason.

“Much better tonight,” head coach Jared Bednar said, “Still made a couple mistakes for sure, things we can continue to clean up to tighten things up. But I thought the commitment was there, the details were much better in all situations.”

Martin Necas, Gabe Landeskog, Nic Roy, and Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche, the first three coming in the first 21:24 of play. Valeri Nichushkin later added an empty-netter. The Avs put 22 shots on Gustavsson, who gave up three goals on the first eight he faced before settling in. Colorado kept riding with Scott Wedgewood, and he made 29 saves to recover from the six goals he gave up in Game 1.

Wedgewood surrendered just one goal on 29 shots in the final 57 minutes of action.

“I thought there wasn’t a guy on our roster that wasn’t better tonight than the other night,” Bednar said. “And he certainly was. We started from the goaltender out.”

MacKinnon also had two assists, while Necas and Landeskog had one, each to also finish with multiple points. Brett Kulak had two helpers.

The Avs broke an NHL record with 12 different goal scorers through the first two games of a series. They’ve found the back of the net 14 times against the Wild. In the opening round, Minnesota gave up only 15 to the Dallas Stars in six games.

Cale Makar and MacKinnon are the only Avalanche goal scorers with more than one. They each have two.

“The whole 23-man roster that we carry is deep,” Wedgewood said. “Parker Kelly is playing the second line near the end of the year. Ross Colton comes in and out. You’ve got [Joel] Kiviranta not playing, which is kind of crazy if you really think about a team not using him.”

MacKinnon was flying up and down the ice in this one. On the Avalanche’s first goal, he went speeding up the ice along the boards, dropped a pass to Necas upon entering the offensive zone, and the winger sent a backhander past Gustavsson on Colorado’s first shot.

The Wild managed to respond an impressive six seconds later. Kirill Kaprizov got a pass from Ryan Hartman that sprung him all alone, and he got his first of the series on a slick shot past Wedgewood at 2:57.

Several minutes later, Yakov Trenin was called for high-sticking, sending Colorado to the power play for the first time. Fifteen seconds into the man-advantage, Landeskog finished a tic-tac-toe play that went from Necas, to MacKinnon, to Landeskog in front of the net for the finish at 8:24. It was Colorado’s second goal on two shots.

The Avs carried a 2-1 lead into the break, killing a Wild power play in the process. They also got outshot 10-7.

In the second, Colorado had the better jump early, and scored again on their first shot of the frame. Ross Colton sent a pass to Roy, who beat Gustavsson clean on the Avalanche’s eighth shot.

Colton was a healthy scratch for the first two games of the playoffs. In both games of the second round, he’s been the primary set-up man for the eventual game winner.

“He’s bought into what we’re trying to do here and I know he cares,” Bednar said of Colton. “I made the decision I made in the first series for reasons I believe in, and he’s playing right now and playing well. That’s what we need.”

The Avalanche didn’t allow a goal in the second period. It’s the only scoreless period from either team through the first two games.

In the third, another power play led to yet another tally. The Avs were 2-for-5 on the man advantage, this time it was MacKinnon finishing a one-timer off a setup from Nazem Kadri.

Minnesota responded 1:05 later, but that was all they could get. Nichushkin buried the empty-net goal with five seconds remaining.

Good: Shutting It Down In the Second

The second period was Colorado’s best of the series. By far. The early goal from Roy gave Bednar’s club a comfortable two-goal lead. From that point on, they checked well, limited Minnesota’s opportunities, and shut things down.

This was the aforementioned period where the Avalanche didn’t allow a goal. Minnesota did well at five-on-five all throughout the evening. But not enough to break through as often as they wanted.

Bad: The Quick Goal From Kaprizov

It felt like we were headed for another crazy back-and-forth game early in the first period. The Avs got the opening goal, and the Kaprizov response just six seconds later felt like more of what we had seen in Game 1. Thankfully for Colorado, it wasn’t the case.

Kudos to the Wild, because both Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman did an excellent job with one-touches to get the puck to Kaprizov behind both Cale Makar and Devon Toews.

Scoring a goal six seconds after a faceoff at center ice is impressive for Minnesota. Not so much for Colorado.

The fact that this was the only goal they surrendered is a massive improvement on Game 1.

The post Postgame: Avalanche Handle Minnesota Wild Again, Take 2-0 Series Lead appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost forward Jarred Vanderbilt early to a gruesome finger injury on Tuesday night.

Vanderbilt went up to try to block Oklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren at the rim in the Lakers’ Game 1 loss, but he missed and ended up smacking his right hand hard against the backboard at the Paycom Center. As Holmgren went to celebrate the other way, Vanderbilt doubled over and screamed out in clear pain while holding his right hand.

Vanderbilt was quickly helped up and off the court. The Thunder bench’s reaction to his finger said it all.

Vanderbilt sustained a full dislocation of his right pinky finger, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said. He finished with two points and a rebound in six minutes. He’s averaged 4.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this season.

It’s unclear how long Vanderbilt will be sidelined due to the finger injury, but it’s not a good sign for the Lakers as they get deeper in their Western Conference semifinals series. The Thunder surged ahead in the second half on Tuesday night to secure the 108-90 win. That gave them their sixth straight playoff win dating back to their NBA Finals victory last season, which matched a franchise record. 

Vanderbilt is just the latest injury the Lakers are dealing with this postseason. While they just got Austin Reaves back from an oblique injury, star Luka Dončić is still out with a hamstring injury.

Game 2 of the series is set for Thursday night.

How does a player with a résumé like Tina Charles end up without a team? And the 2026 WNBA season is just three days away. As one of the league’s most decorated veterans and the most accomplished unsigned free agent currently available, concerns within the WNBA community are beginning to grow louder by the day.

American sports broadcaster Cindy Brunson gave voice to that concern in a post she made on X on Monday. “There has to be a roster spot for her, period,” she wrote. And when you lay out what Tina Charles represents, it’s hard to argue with her opinion. As she also pointed out, Charles is not just a former No. 1 draft pick. She’s the all-time leader in WNBA rebounds. She’s also a former league MVP, and a two-time scoring champion, among other achievments. The idea that no team has found room for that kind of player is, as Brunson suggested, genuinely difficult to reconcile.

What makes it even harder to understand is that Tina Charles hasn’t given anyone a reason to walk away based on performance. Her 2025 season with the Connecticut Sun, the team that originally drafted her back in 2010, was anything but the output of a player fading into irrelevance. She led the team with 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. And she did that while playing in 43 regular season games, starting 42 of them, and missing just one game. She also scored in double figures in 35 of those games and posted 20 or more points on 15 separate occasions. By any reasonable standard, that is a productive, reliable, starting-caliber season.

Yet the Sun chose not to bring her back for 2026. They didn’t issue any formal statement to explain the decision, but the direction the franchise is heading offers some context. The have made significant investment in younger players like Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Aaliyah Edwards. And they have an expanded 18-player roster featuring eight rookies and four second-year players. So, the Connecticut appears to be prioritizing a youth-driven rebuild. At 37 years of age heading into this season, Charles may simply no longer fit the timeline the Sun are building toward, even if she clearly appears to still fit on a basketball court.

Charles herself has stayed quiet on her current situation, making no formal public statement about where things stand. But she made her intentions clear before the 2025 season even concluded. “God willing, I would love to play another year in the WNBA,” she said. Sadly, that wish, as of right now, remains unfulfilled.

But with three days until the season tips off, the window is narrow but not yet closed. Who knows, anything can happen in three days. Hopefully something does and one of the greatest players in WNBA history, wouldn’t have to bow out because she was no longer wanted.

WNBA Fans Show Concern as Former No. 1 Pick Tina Charles Remains Unsigned Ahead of 2026 Season

The silence around Tina Charles is getting louder. Her continued unsigned status heading into the 2026 WNBA season has sparked growing concern across the basketball community, particularly given the level of production she delivered just last season. But as one fan cut straight to the heart of the matter, “Her resume is not why she gets a spot. She’s 37.” The same fan, however, was quick to add that they still “think she can still play.”

That age narrative keeps surfacing as the primary explanation, even among those who genuinely believe Charles still has something to offer on the court. “She’s going on 38. It is what it is,” one fan said. “Time comes for us all,” added another. Yet even a fan who wasn’t entirely convinced she had much fuel left in the tank still saw value in having her around. “She’s 37… not sure how much she still has left, but I’d love her on the Sky to mentor Kamilla Cardoso,” they said.

Some fans, though, haven’t given up on the idea of Charles landing somewhere before the season gets underway. “Cloud finally got picked up,” one fan noted pointedly. “Hopefully she will too. One of the last bigs who can go outside as well… .” It’s a fair parallel to draw. Natasha Cloud is a ten-year veteran who eventually found a home with the Chicago Sky despite her own prolonged free agency. The key difference, of course, is that Cloud is 34, and Charles is 37. Three years may not sound like much. However, in the context of professional sports at the late stage of a career, it can be a meaningful gap.

But hopefully Charles’ story ends the same way Cloud’s did. However, for now, the question is: is it really time for Tina Charles to call it a career? Or does last season’s performance suggest that there is still more chapter left to write? But maybe with everything she has accomplished, she deserves the chance to answer that question on her own terms.

The post Concerns Grow Within The WNBA Community After Former No.1 Draft Pick Remains Unsigned Before 2026 Season appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Nick Morabito continued his good run at the plate as Triple-A Syracuse dropped a 3-2 rain-shortened game, in six innings, to Rochester, on Tuesday night. 

Morabito notched a pair of singles in three at-bats and came around to score, raising his average to .284 and OPS to .864 through his first 30 games at Triple-A on the season, as he's 11-for-30 in his last 10 with four extra-base hits, four RBI, and eight walks.

Morabito, who turns 23 on Thursday, entered the 2026 season on the Mets' 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft and as the No. 11 prospect on Joe DeMayo's Top 30 list of Mets’ prospects.

Ryan Clifford had a single and a double with an RBI and a walk in his three times at the plate on Tuesday. Both hits were scorched: 108.1 mph off the bat and 106.1 mph.

The No. 6 prospect raised his average to .234 with a .740 OPS in 32 games this year. He's got 11 extra-base hits (five homers) with 19 RBI.

A.J. Ewing, the No. 3 prospect in the Mets’ system, went hitless on Tuesday. Through his first seven games at Triple-A, the 21-year-old is batting .440 (11-for-25) with a pair of extra-base hits and two RBI and a 1.060 OPS.

Down in Port St. Lucie, Elian Peńa smacked a three-run home run for his lone hit in five times up. The 370-foot blast was smacked 104.7 mph off the bat. The Mets’ No. 7 prospect struck out twice, but is still batting .311 with a .866 OPS through his first 26 games of the year at Single-A

Ball Arena welcomed Avalanche fans (and some Wild fans) for game two of the second round series between the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild, and those supporting the home club would head to the lot happy once again.

The Avalanche scored first and last tonight, and despite Matt Boldy, Quinn Hughes, and Marcus Johansson’s best effort, Colorado’s star power and physicality won the night.

Nathan MacKinnon had three assists and a goal, Gabe Landeskog scored on the power play, and the Avalanche were the aggressors in the checking department.

Scott Wedgewood made some clutch saves on the kill and looked good in his 6th consecutive playoff start and victory.

On the other hand, Filip Gustavsson gave up two goals on his first two shots and didn’t appear all that comfortable for the Wild.

The Avs have Minnesota in a must-win situation now after snagging a 5-2 victory.

Let’s take a deeper look at the action of game number two!

The Game

I hardly get a bold prediction right on the Mile High Hockey Lab, but today I actually earned a ding as Martin Necas was indeed the first goalscorer of the evening. I mentioned on the program that I felt he’d been plenty creative and was due for a goal rather than a setup.

Nathan MacKinnon broke in and found Martin Necas on a drop pass, who broke toward the net and sent a backhand shot through traffic that beat Filip Gustavsson.

In the intermission report, Mark Messier said, “You need a save there,” when recapping the tally that would give the Avalanche a 1-0 lead.

That lead would last all of six seconds as a broken play leading to Devon Toews and Cale Makar both covering the same Wild player.

Martin Necas was left to pick up Kirill Kaprisov, but didn’t really stand a chance in that regard.

Kaprisov would break in all alone and beat Scott Wedgewood with ease. We were tied at one.

The Colorado Avalanche power play dominated the conversation throughout the regular season (not in a good way). Still, it was on point tonight, starting with the third goal of the first period logged by Gabe Landeskog.

The tape-to-tape passes from Kadri to Makar to Necas connected with Nathan MacKinnon, who one-touched a pass from the net side to Landeskog in the bumper position. Landy left no doubt with the finish. 2-1 Avalanche, and that’s how the first period would end.

The Avalanche got an early second-period goal from deadline addition Nicolas Roy on a feed from Ross Colton to give the boys in burgundy a 3-1 lead.

Good to see Rosco get on the board for the first time this playoffs, and Nic Roy now has 4 points in the six playoff games this postseason.

Colorado hasn’t lost a game all season where they’ve held the lead heading into the third, and would add another notch to that log on the back of another power play goal, this time from Nathan MacKinnon.

Nate did well to find himself some open ice and got a fortunate bounce as his one-timer went off Yakov Trenin’s shin and in. The Avalanche would extend their lead to 4-1.

We saw a little pushback from the Minnesota Wild, who got a third-period goal from Marcus Johansson. I thought Johansson was among the Wild’s best players, and so I wasn’t surprised that he finally broke through, bringing the score to 4-2.

In the end, a not-so-smart cross-check from Karpisov would tranquilize the Wild’s comeback effort, and inevitably, Val Nichushkin would loft a puck the length of the ice and into the empty net.

The Avalanche win 5-2 in a professional, workman-like effort and improve to 6-0 in the playoffs, taking a 2-0 series lead heading to Minnesota for game three.

Takeaways

The Wild have to be disappointed in a couple of things tonight, but I’ll start with the penalties they took. Ryan Hartman’s trip in the second and Kaprisov’s cross-check to Makar’s face were killers tonight.

Hartman’s didn’t end up in a goal and neither did Kaprisov’s, oddly enough, but they did kill some much-needed momentum on completely avoidable infractions.

The Avalanche pulled the uno-reverse card and outhit the Minnesota Wild with more than a few memorable and crunching hits.

Brock Nelson caught Ryan Hartman reaching, Nathan MacKinnon bowled right over Quinn Hughes, and pasted Matt Boldy to the boards. I expect a response from the Wild in this regard in game three, so it will be important for Colorado to make the most of those three days’ rest.

Minnesota went with Filip Gustavsson tonight as a surprise replacement for Jesper Wallstedt, and it seemed to backfire a bit.

A couple of Colorado’s goals, you’d like your goalie to make a save, but Gustavsson hasn’t had a start since March and was making a habit of giving up four or more back then, so I’m confused as to what sort of jolt John Hines was expecting from that move.

It’s so shockingly odd that it leads me to speculate that something was wrong with Wallstedt. It could be as simple as he just needed a night off. Speculation aside, I’d bet the Wild go with Wallstedt for the rest of the series.

Colorado’s top guns were flying around tonight, and when that’s the case, they are a tough team to beat. It felt like the Lehkonen — MacKinnon — Necas line could score on any shift, and Gabe Landeskog still seems to find another level this time of year.

Colorado did recommit defensively, and outside of that lapse that led to Kaprisov’s goal, they were back to shutting things down. What you just read may be true, but make no mistake: Scott Wedgewood did his thing yet again.

Upcoming

The Avs will head to Minnesota for a Saturday night game three at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul for a 7 p.m. MT start time.

Let us know what you thought of this contest in the comments!

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ bats fell silent against Eduardo Rodríguez and the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 9-0 loss at Chase Field on Tuesday night. 

Scoring Plays

Bottom 1st, 2-0 ARZ: Ketel Marte tripled off Bubba Chandler (1-4) and scored on an Adrian Del Castillo sac fly to center. Later in the inning, another miscommunication between Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz in center resulted in an RBI double of Ildemaro Vargas.

Bottom 6th, 7-0 ARZ: The Diamondbacks (17-17) struck for five runs against Pirates reliever Yohan Ramírez. Gabriel Moreno doubled home a run and later scored on a two-run double from Nolan Arenado. Alek Thomas beat a throw home on a Marte chopper to short and Corbin Carroll capped off the big inning with a sac fly to center.

Bottom 8th, 9-0 ARZ: Arizona tacked on two more off Dennis Santana in the ninth. Marte ripped an RBI single to right and Del Castillo did the same two batters later.

Key Moments

The Pirates (19-17) had a chance to at least draw even in the second inning with two on and one out but came up empty.

Arizona blew the game open against Ramírez, who allowed as many earned runs in this game as he had all season entering play.

Player of the Game

Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodríguez (3-0) carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and held the Pirates scoreless across seven innings. He allowed two hits, walked three and struck out a season-high seven batters.

Stat to Know

Konnor Griffin extended his career-high hit streak to seven games with a double in the seventh. He’s hitting .435 (10-for-23) with two doubles, a triple, a home run, four RBI and three walks during the streak.

Notable Performances

• Bubba Chandler: 5.0 innings, two hits, two runs, six walks, four strikeouts, 92 pitches/58 strikes
• Yohan Ramírez: 0.1 inning, two hits, five runs, one walk, no strikeouts, 29 pitches/15 strikes
• Konnor Griffin: 1 for 2, one double, one run, one walk

Noteworthy

• Pirates manager Don Kelly was suspended for one game. Bench coach Kristopher Negrón served as acting manager. RHP Chris Devenski was also suspended by MLB for two games.
• This was the third time in the last seven meetings Arizona shut out Pittsburgh dating back to last season.
• Former Pirates outfielder and coach Bob Skinner died at the age of 94. Skinner was art of the 1960 World Series champion team with Pittsburgh.

Up Next

RHP Paul Skenes (4-2, 3.18 ERA) will be on the mound for the Pirates in the second game of the series. RHP Michael Soroka (4-1, 4.70 ERA) gets the nod for the Diamondbacks. First pitch: 9:40 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh, MLB Network/93.7 The Fan.

Around the Network

Pittsburgh Baseball Now:Pirates Q&A: How Will Bucs Make Room for Jared Jones?

Pittsburgh Hockey Now:Penguins Report Card: What Did Season Mean? Success & Shortcomings

Steelers Now: What Are Reasonable Expectations for Drew Allar?

Pittsburgh Sports Now:Pitt Transfer Outlook: Projected Roles, Instant Impact Players on Offense

The post Pirates Rattled by Rodríguez, Fall to Diamondbacks in Desert appeared first on Pittsburgh Baseball Now.

TOLONO, Ill. (WCIA) — Unity baseball is off to a 19-3 start after making runs to state in boys basketball and football.

The Rockets are looking for redemption after a close loss to Monticello in the sectional championship game last season.

A notable part of thjs season’s success includes head coach Tom Kimball surpassing the 400-win milestone.

He credits many people for the program’s recent success, including community members, administrators and talented players.

While winning was the biggest goal early in his career, that isn’t the case anymore.

“As I’ve grown older and grown into this little bit, I realize that winning is important and we all love to win, but in reality, the relationships that you build and if you can help kids better themselves and be a better part in society, at the end of the day, that’s kind of what coaching is about,” Kimball said.

“Seeing him in school, it just builds an even better relationship with him,” senior Coleton Langendorf said. “He’s always joking with us when he sees us, and we’re just always having a good time with him.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.

Strasbourg could this week reach the first European final in their history, at the end of a turbulent season for the club which belongs to the same BlueCo consortium that owns Chelsea.

The team coached by Englishman Gary O'Neil host Rayo Vallecano at their Stade de la Meinau on Thursday in the second leg of their Conference League semi-final, looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first meeting.

Neither team has made it to the last four of a European competition before, and the winner will progress to the final in the German city of Leipzig on May 27 against Crystal Palace or Shakhtar Donetsk.

Not so long ago, the prospect of lifting a European trophy would have felt like a pipe dream for Strasbourg fans.

The club from a city which sits on France's border with Germany and is the seat of the European Parliament, have been French champions just once, in 1979.

Before this campaign, their best run in Europe came in 1980, when they lost to Ajax in the European Cup quarter-finals, although there was a memorable win against Liverpool in the UEFA Cup in 1997.

But the involvement of BlueCo in all of this is a point of tension for Strasbourg's supporters.

"We needed someone to accompany us to get to this step," the club's president Marc Keller, an ex-Strasbourg player, told RMC radio after the team beat German side Mainz in the last round.

He pointed out that Strasbourg were languishing in the regional, amateur fourth and fifth tiers of French football 15 years ago, after running into financial difficulties and going into liquidation.

They returned to Ligue 1 in 2017 after almost a decade away, and had managed to establish themselves again in the top flight.

However, Strasbourg hardly looked like becoming competitors in Europe before BlueCo took over in June 2023, a year after buying Chelsea.

"We were conscious that we had gone as far as we could with our existing model," insisted Keller.

- Silent protests -

Significant money has since been invested in new players, and Strasbourg qualified for this edition of the Conference League after an exciting last campaign under English coach Liam Rosenior.

Some talented players have come to Strasbourg from Chelsea, albeit mostly on loan, but what fans have noticed above all is something else: if a player or coach does really well in Alsace, the chances are they will soon be off to Stamford Bridge.

In September, Dutch striker Emmanuel Emegha, Strasbourg's captain, announced he would join Chelsea next season, upsetting many fans.

In January, Chelsea decided to poach Rosenior, whose own comments did little to calm the anger among supporters.

"I hope the fans are proud in a way that somebody who's worked here has been identified to be the manager of a Champions League-winning club and current club world champions," he suggested.

He was replaced by O'Neil, under whom Strasbourg have already lost in the French Cup semi-finals.

"Thursday's game is the biggest in the club's history. We will need the same support and energy that we got against Mainz," said O'Neil.

The problem is that the club's most vociferous supporters have, since last season, chosen to express their displeasure at the ownership by staging a silent protest in the first 15 minutes of matches.

What is happening at Strasbourg is "what the future could look like for the vast majority of clubs," said Ultra Boys 90, a leading supporters group, in an open letter earlier this year.

"They will be relegated to the role of feeder teams, without their own resources, with no soul and no link to where they come from."

The silent protest is expected to take place as usual on Thursday, even if Ultra Boys 90 are calling on fans to gather ahead of kick-off to welcome the team bus to the ground.

The stadium has been recently renovated, with a huge new main stand having taken capacity to around 32,000.

It is almost always sold out now, but many of the fans who fill it are unhappy, or at least conflicted, about the direction in which the club is heading.

Even if they might be heading for a European final, with the chance of lifting a trophy won last season by none other than Chelsea.

as/bc

HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) — New University of Evansville women’s basketball head coach, Ben Wierzba has signed his second player in Louisiana transfer Marina Artero.

The 5’11 junior forward from Spain appeared in all 31 games this past season for the Ragin Cajuns. Artero made 19 starts while averaging about 1.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game at Louisiana.

She started her collegiate career at Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania and now will become an important piece of Wierzba’s first roster.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW).

The Dallas Cowboys have rebuilt much of their defense during the 2026 offseason, but it’s not quite done. Christian Parker could use a designated edge-rush veteran to beef up the pass rush, and one of the top options just signed somewhere else.

Pass rusher Dante Fowler agreed to a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks worth up to $5 million, giving the Cowboys one fewer player to help get after the quarterback. Fowler had two stints in Dallas, including last year, where he had three sacks and 10 QB hits. 

Dante Fowler Jr. is signing with the Seahawks on a one-year deal worth up to $5 million. (via @TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/ymE12jx48a

— NFL (@NFL) May 5, 2026

That production came off the heels of a 10.5 sack campaign under Dan Quinn while playing with the Washington Commanders in 2024. Fowler was the highest priced free agent signed by the Cowboys during the 2025 offseason, but he couldn’t replicate the pressure under new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.

Fowler’s a journeyman who’s made over $74 million across his career, playing for five teams since being the third overall pick in the 2015 draft. He's totaled 58.5 career sacks. The 31-year-old pass rusher has two double-digit sacks seasons on his ledger and had 13 sacks combined during his three years in Dallas.

He’s had an up and down career, but Fowler was a decent option as one of the best remaining designated pass rushers still on the market. Instead of coming back to the Cowboys for a fourth season, Fowler now heads to Seattle to reunite with his former line coach and current Seahawks DC Aden Durde, along with former Dallas defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.

The remaining veteran edge rush options now include Joey Bosa, Cameron Jordan, Haason Reddick, and Von Miller, along with last year’s sack leader in Jadeveon Clowney.

It’s worth noting the Cowboys and Parker could be content with the younger pass rushers they’ve already got in-house. The 2026 offseason and the draft did bring some new talent, so there isn’t reason to panic. 

However, if the Cowboys did want a veteran designated edge presence, there’s one fewer option.

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: DE Dante Fowler leaves Cowboys fold to join world-champion Seahawks

HOUSTON — The Dodgers keep finding new ways to make Shohei Ohtani’s brilliance feel like a footnote.

On a quiet Tuesday night at Daikin Park, Ohtani delivered exactly what you’d expect from an ace, and still walked off the mound with a loss attached to his outing. The Dodgers fell 2-1 to the Houston Astros, dropping another one-run game in which their most dynamic player was limited to just one side of his skill set.

That’s becoming a theme. And not a flattering one.

Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) delivers a pitch in the second inningv against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park.

Ohtani, working strictly as a pitcher again, turned in his most extended outing in nearly two years. Seven innings. Eight strikeouts. No walks. Just 89 pitches, 62 for strikes. Outside of two early mistakes, solo home runs by Christian Walker in the second and Braden Shewmake in the third, he dictated the game.

Ohtani is dealing like a Cy Young contender, yet the Dodgers keep wasting it.

His final line — 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K — his ERA goes up to 0.97. It should have been the headline. Instead, it’s buried under another night where the offense vanished until it was too late.

The only life came in the eighth, when Kyle Tucker poked an RBI single to right to cut the deficit to one. That was it. No sustained pressure. No response to early damage. Just another late, insufficient push.

And here’s where this gets uncomfortable for Dave Roberts.

For the second straight Ohtani start, Roberts opted to use him as a pitcher only, no DH, no bat in the lineup. For the second straight time, the Dodgers lost by one run. Last week, it was against the Miami Marlins. This time, a more respectable opponent, but the same hollow result.

Coincidence? Maybe. But it’s starting to feel like more than that.

Even in the middle of an 0-for-17 slump, Ohtani’s presence changes the shape of a game. Pitchers work differently. Bullpens get leveraged earlier. Mistakes get punished differently. Take that out, and the Dodgers lineup, deep as it is on paper, suddenly looks a lot more ordinary.

Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) delivers a pitch during the game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park.

Ohtani himself didn’t exactly hide his stance last week.

“I think for players who wanna do two-way and if they wanna DH, they should get the option,” he said after that loss to Miami.

Read between the lines, and it wasn’t just a general comment. It was a window into how he views his role, and maybe how this balancing act is affecting him.

Because Ohtani doesn’t just play both ways. He thrives on it. It’s rhythm. It’s identity. It’s part of what makes him different.

And right now, the Dodgers are experimenting with that identity in real time. The results? Mixed at best.

Yes, protecting his workload matters. Yes, it’s early May, not October. But wins in May count the same, and the Dodgers are now 22-14 with a familiar issue: dominant pitching performances getting little to no offensive backing.

So the question isn’t just about strategy. It’s about philosophy.

Do you manage Ohtani like a traditional ace, carefully, conservatively, one role at a time? Or do you lean into what makes him singular, even if it comes with risk?

"If there was a situation where I was hitting well, I'm sure the team would want me to pitch and hit as well,” Ohtani said postgame. “I understand in this situation where just focus on the pitching, turn the page on hitting, I understand that the team might think like that."

Because nights like Tuesday make one thing clear: the “pitcher-only” version of Ohtani might be elite, but it might not be enough,  not for this team, and not the way these games are unfolding.

With the San Francisco Giants waiting next week back at Dodger Stadium, the decision looms again. And it’s no longer just a lineup card choice. It’s a test of whether the Dodgers truly understand the player they built all of this around, or if they’re still trying to fit him into a box he was never meant to occupy.

The Minnesota Wild are halfway to the start of their summer vacation after losing 5-2 to the Colorado Avalanche in Game 2 of their Western Conference Second Round series at Ball Arena on Tuesday night.

This one wasn’t a track meet like their 9-6 loss in Game 1 on Saturday. But the end result was the same — a three-goal loss in which the Wild couldn’t stop Avs stars Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas. MacKinnon, who finished third in the NHL in scoring during the regular season, had his second straight one-goal, two-assist night, while Necas scored the game’s first goal and set up another.

Gabriel Landeskog, Nicolas Roy and Valeri Nichushkin also scored for the Avs, the NHL’s top team during the regular season. Scott Wedgewood won his sixth game in as many tries, making 29 saves.

The Wild got a first-period goal by Kirill Kaprizov and one with 5:27 left in the third period by Marcus Johansson, but that wasn’t nearly enough against the NHL’s highest-scoring team during the regular season.

The series takes a three-day break before moving to Grand Casino Arena for Game 3 on Saturday. The extra day off is necessitated by the Minnesota Frost’s PWHL playoff games Thursday and Friday. It will give coach John Hynes some more time to try to figure out how to shut down the Avs, who’ve scored 14 goals in the first two games.

Goaltender change doesn’t help Wild in Game 2 loss

The Wild changed goaltenders after their Game 1 loss. Rookie Jesper Wallstedt took a seat and veteran Filip Gustavsson got his first start since April 13. their next-to-last regular-season game. But Gustavsson didn’t fare any better that Wallstedt in the first 10 minutes, allowing goals on the first two shots he faced.

MacKinnon did all the work on the game’s first goal. He raced our of his own zone, down the right side and finding Necas coming late. Necas found a gap in the slot between three defenders and beat Gustavsson with a backhander at 2:51 for a 1-0 lead.

The cheers hadn’t even died down when the Wild took advantage of a Colorado defensive gaffe to tie the score. Cale Makar was way out of position and Ryan Hartman sent Kaprizov in on a breakaway. Minnesota’s all-time playoff goal-scoring leader beat Wedgewood at 2:57 — six seconds after Necas scored — to even the game at 1-1.

The Wild held Colorado without a shot on goal for more than five minutes. But Colorado made it 2-for-2 on Landeskog’s power-play goal at 8:24. Landeskog found a soft spot in the slot and finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play from Makar to Necas to MacKinnon, whose perfect feed set up Colorado’s captain for a 10-foot snap shot that Gustavsson had no chance on.

Minnesota pressed for the tying goal during its first power play after Brock Nelson was sent off for holding at 13:16. The Wild got six high-danger chances during the man-advantage, according to Natural Stat Trick, but Wedgewood stopped them all.

The period ended with Colorado leading 2-1, though the Wild had a 10-7 edge in shots on goal.

Just as they did in the opening 20 minutes, the Avs scored on their first shot of the second period. Minnesota failed to get the puck deep on an attempted zone entry; the Avs took advantage after Russ Colton found Roy coming down the middle. Roy got his shot off quickly and beat Gustavsson at 1:24 for a 3-1 lead.

The Wild had 10 shots again in the second period but generated little consistent offense and didn’t seriously test Wedgewood.

Wedgewood kept Minnesota from getting closer after Nelson took a tripping penalty at 4:20. The Avs didn’t score after Mats Zuccarello was called for tripping at 7:26, but MacKinnon’s power-play one-timer from the left circle at 13:18 boosted the lead to 4-1.

Marcus Johansson got one back at 14:33, but that was as close as Minnesota got. Nichushkin’s empty-netter with five seconds left rubbed a little more salt in the wound.

Key Takeaways after Wild lose 5-2 to Avanlanche in Game 2

Wild’s stars outshone

The Avalanche are getting big production from MacKinnon and Necas. The Wild can’t say the same about many of their top players.

Defenseman Quinn Hughes, who entered the game leading all players in postseason scoring, had a tough night. He played 28:07 but finished minus-1 with no shots on goal, three shot attempts, one hit and one blocked shot. The Avs paid a lot of attention to Minnesota’s top defender — most notably on a huge third-period hit by MacKinnon.

Kaprizov had a goal and a couple of other good chances, but Matt Boldy had no points, finished minus-1 and wasn’t much of a factor. Boldy, the Wild’s biggest scorer in the first round with six goals, has one assist in two games. 

The Wild aren’t going to beat an elite team without their top players firing on all cylinders, They weren’t on Tuesday.

Special-teams problems continue

The Wild’s special teams are still dragging them down.

Minnesota’s power play was 2-for-4 in the Wild’s 6-1 win over the Dallas Stars. But it’s done almost nothing since then, a trend that continued against Colorado. Minnesota went 0-for-2, dropping the Wild to 0-for-5 in the series and 2-for-26 in their past seven games.

The penalty-killers, who allowed Dallas to score 10 times on 25 opportunities in the opening round, are faring no better against Colorado. The Avs went 2-for-5 and are 3-for-7 in the first two games. Minnesota’s 13 power-play goals allowed and minus-9 differential are the worst of any team in this year’s playoffs.

Break time

The Wild have to be glad they’ve got an extra day off before Game 3. They’re hoping the off days allow injured Joel Eriksson Ek, one of the NHL’s best two-way centers, to return to the lineup at home.

Hynes will undoubtedly use the time to figure out who he’ll start in goal Saturday. Wallstedt allowed eight goals in Game 1 but carried the Wild past Dallas in the first round. Gustavsson, who carried most of the load during the regular season, allowed a couple of goals on stoppable shots.

Whoever he chooses will have to come up with a big effort in front of the home fans. The Wild are trying to get to the conference final for the first time since 2003.

Stat shots

The Wild are down 2-0 in a series for the ninth time in their history. They won only one of the first eight. That came in 2014, when they lost the first two games on the road but won the series by taking Game 7 in Denver.

The Wild and Avs matched the second-fastest two goals in a Stanley Cup game; the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers scored six seconds apart in Game 2 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The record is five seconds set by the Penguins and Buffalo Sabres in Game 3 of the Preliminary Round in 1979.

Colorado matched the Carolina Hurricanes by starting 6-0 in this year’s playoffs. It’s the fifth time in playoffs history where multiple teams have started the postseason with streaks this long.

MacKinnon had his 21st career multiple-point playoff game. That moved him past Hall of Famer (now Avs president) Joe Sakic for the most in franchise history.

Colorado set an NHL record with 12 different goal-scorers within the first two games of any postseason series.

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The Los Angeles Lakers entered Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series against the Oklahoma City Thunder without Luka Doncic, who is still out with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. There is still no firm timetable for Doncic's return, and with each passing day, it looks more likely that he will not return at all during this postseason.

Los Angeles already had an anemic bench when healthy this season, and now their second unit could be even thinner. Forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who can be a spark plug for them off the bench as an energy player, suffered a finger injury during the second quarter while trying to block a dunk by Isaiah Hartenstein. He exited the game and never returned, as the Lakers lost 108-90.

Per Shams Charania of ESPN, Vanderbilt has sustained a full dislocation of his right pinky finger.

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt has sustained a full dislocation of his right pinky finger in a gruesome injury tonight, sources tell ESPN.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 6, 2026

If Vanderbilt isn't able to play, coach JJ Redick may have to go to little-used big man Maxi Kleber or even rookie Adou Thiero for at least spot duty. Thiero has mostly only played sparingly during garbage time throughout this season, and Kleber, who averaged 10.7 minutes a game during the regular season, played a total of seven minutes in the first round of the playoffs against the Houston Rockets. All seven of those minutes came in Game 4, which was a 115-96 blowout loss.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Shams Charania gives update on Jarred Vanderbilt's finger injury

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett is coming off a career year statistically and, after Kyler Murray was released, was seen as the likely starting quarterback for 2026, even with the addition of free agency of Gardner Minshew and, more recently, the addition of Carson Beck in the third round of the draft.

However, Brissett is currently not happy with his contract. He is scheduled to make nearly $4.9 million in salary and up to $510,000 in per-game roster bonuses. That is solid backup quarterback money, but it isn't anywhere near what even a low-end starting quarterback gets.

Initial reports of Brissett's desires say that he wants a multi-year deal that pays him like a starter. He has decided to stay away from the voluntary offseason program.

However, Brissett might not have the leverage he thinks he has.

Yes, he set career-highs in passing yards and passing touchdowns. Yes, Michael Wilson and Trey McBride had career years thanks to Brissett. However, the Cardinals went 1-11 when he started and 0-9 after the starting job was given to him, and the offense averaged only 18.7 points over the final nine games, so there were yards but there weren't points.

The Cardinals then signed Minshew, who has 47 career starts and drafted Beck, who started 43 games in college. Minshew and Brissett are probably equal in skill and caliber of starter.

And now the Cardinals have a new head coach and offensive system. Minshew has been getting reps. Brissett is not. Brissett has not worked in this system, so it isn't as if he already knows the offense.

Now, the Cardinals reportedly are open to accommodating Brissett, whatever that means, and general manager Monti Ossenfort said during the draft, with regards to Brissett and his contract, "things are in a good spot."

We at Cards Wire are very much pro-player when it comes to trying to get paid more. If a player thinks he can, by all means, handle business.

The problem is that Brissett doesn't seem to have any leverage. The Cardinals' hopes are lost without him. One could say that they had little hope even with him. After all, he went 1-11 last year, he is 2-15 in his last 17 starts in 2024-2025 and is 20-45 as a starter in his career.

The Cardinals got the best version of Brissett in 2025 and still weren't competitive. Is it reasonable to expect him to play at that same level?

And how much worse off would the Cardinals be with Minshew starting?

If Brissett can secure a little more security, good for him, but the situation right now doesn't seem to be in his favor.

The Cardinals are a team without a legitimate starting quarterback without real hopes of being competitive. Brissett doesn't likely have the value he thinks he has or deserves, and that is the sad reality.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Jacoby Brissett doesn't have leverage he hopes he has for new deal

Even as James Harden continues to climb the ranks of postseason longevity, his historic flaws remain stubbornly attached to his playoff resume. Following the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 111-101 road loss to the Detroit Pistons in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the focus shifted from the final score to The Beard’s staggering career trend. And it came under the radar through Harden’s notorious critic, Nick Wright.

Tonight marked the 181st playoff game of James Harden’s career spanning 17 seasons and counting. Remarkably, it also marked the 45th time in his postseason history that he has registered as many or more turnovers than made field goals. Harden had 22 points, shooting 6-of-15 from the field, 1-of-7 from the arc, and 9-of-9 from the charity stripe. But of the Cavs’ 10 turnovers, seven came from Harden.

According to Wright, this frustrating metric has now defined nearly exactly 25% of Harden’s career playoff appearances. In one out of every four playoff games he has ever played, his sloppy ball-handling and poor decision-making have directly negated or eclipsed his offensive execution.

It’s a rough blow to what was billed as his fresh startto rewrite his postseason narrative. He demanded a trade from Clippers to Cavaliers in pursuit of a championship and the Cavs banked on his postseason experience to get over the hump. Instead, it became a showcase for the exact same flaws that have plagued the former MVP throughout his career.

James Harden admitted his turnovers cost the Cavaliers

Despite a furious fourth-quarter rally that saw Cleveland erase an 18-point deficit to tie the game at 93, the Cavaliers ultimately faltered down the stretch, dropping Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals 111-101 to the top-seeded Pistons. They had to play the final quarter without Donovan Mitchell because of a nagging groin strain and the impact was felt.

WhileSpida redeemed himself by leading Cleveland with 23 points, Harden carried the playmaking load, scoring, passing lanes, and creating advantages. But his ball security issues came up again.

It’s not that Nick Wright is dismissive of Harden again. He admitted his problems tonight were on him and not on the Pistons’ defensive pressure too. “You look at my turnovers and a lot of them were just on me and nothing they did,” Harden said after the game.

Ironically, tonight put both Harden and the Pistons’ Cade Cunningham in an unenviable all-time club – players who had 40+ turnovers in the first eight games of a postseason. James has 43 and Cade has 45 in 2026. But Harden takes up three more spots in the top 10 – 41 in 2019, and 40 each in 2015 and 2017.

Harden is currently averaging 20.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.1 steals, and 0.6 blocks in 37.0 minutes this postseason. His shooting efficiency remains consistent too. But his turnover rate is a costly 5.1. His assist-to-turnover ratio remains a big gap for someone running the offense.

Wright has now put a magnifying glass on Harden’s ability to handle playoff pressure. With Game 2 scheduled for Thursday night in Detroit, the Cavs must find a way to stabilize their guard play before the top-seeded Pistons run away with the series.

The post James Harden’s Playoff Flaw Exposed as Cavs Fall to Pistons After Failed Comeback appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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A night after letting another win slip through their fingers, the Atlanta Braves battled back to even the series in Seattle against the Mariners with a 3-2 victory on Tuesday.

In the top of the ninth, Matt Olson launched a solo homer off Mariners closer Andrés Munoz to give the Braves a 3-2 lead. Olson barreled the ball to center field, which kept cutting towards the left-center gap and cleared the fence. It was career homer No. 301 for Olson, who currently leads Major League Baseball in WAR. It ticked up a few more notches on Tuesday night.

Offense was tough to come by for the better part of eight innings for the Braves, who seldom had much action on the bases against Seattle righty George Kirby. The lone rally came in the fourth inning — just moments after Seattle had taken a 2-0 lead — as Mauricio Dubon poked a ball down the right field line to score two runners. Dubon’s double and Olson’s homer were the lone extra base hits for Atlanta on Tuesday night.

Bryce Elder was, once again, fantastic for six innings. He struck out nine Mariners and generated 17 whiffs over 93 pitches. His lone mistake was a middle-middle fastball to JP Crawford that was crushed about 15 rows deep to the right field seats, but he was excellent otherwise. Through eight starts this season, Elder owns a stellar 2.02 ERA, 3.20 FIP and 3.83 xFIP. For a pitching staff with a lot of injuries and question marks, Elder has been a pillar of consistency through the first quarter of the season.

In relief of Elder, the vaunted trio of Dylan Lee, Robert Suarez and freshly off the injured list Raisel Iglesias was nearly perfect. They recorded seven strikeouts across three innings, allowed just one soft single in the ninth to Josh Naylor.

The series will wrap up on Wednesday afternoon, and as of this writing, it seems Martin Perez may make the start in place of Grant Holmes. Whoever starts for the Braves will be opposed by righty Bryan Woo, who has pitched well the previous few years but is coming off two brutal starts in which he surrendered 13 runs across nine innings. First pitch is a much earlier 4:10 p.m. ET.

There are few names in sports media as controversial as Jason Whitlock. Over the past three decades, Whitlock has served as both a critic and a target of criticism across sports, politics, and culture. From an early age, he admired the sage wit and sharp words of Chicago-based columnist Mike Royko. Embracing a no-nonsense, fearless approach to challenging power through the written and spoken word.

“Everything about my career was based on Mike Royko, except trying to apply it to sports. That’s what I take the most satisfaction with my career,” explained Whitlock.

Early in his career, Whitlock emerged as a budding sports media star, showcasing the bravado it takes not only to offer critique but also to accept it. He caught national attention during his time as a columnist with the Kansas City Star. From there, he transitioned to writing columns for ESPN and began hosting a variety of the network’s studio programs.

Despite his growing national presence, Whitlock never lost his critical eye. He never shied away from speaking his mind, even when addressing his contemporaries.

“I entered this profession being critical of the media,” says Whitlock. “Sports media thinks that I hate them, and I don’t. I’m a critic. If anyone legitimately listens to what I have to say, I criticize myself more harshly than anyone else… I take the shots that I take because I love sports media and understand the important role we play. I’m just disappointed that sports media has been emasculated and had our power stolen from us.”

Shifting Power of Journalism

Whitlock has experienced both sides of sports media. He is a former Division I football player, offering an athlete’s perspective, and a graduate of Ball State University with a degree in journalism. He has also worked across multiple sectors of the industry, including print, radio, and network television.

Over time, he has come to believe that traditional sports media, once rooted in journalism, has been replaced. Not by artificial intelligence or happenstance, but by what he calls “idiot athletes.”

“We went from Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon being the gold standard to former athletes being the gold standard. That’s a mistake,” notes Whitlock. “What I want to do is not roll over and inspire other journalists not to roll over and accept we’re being replaced in the industry by dumb jocks. We have a right to be frustrated about that.”

Whitlock argues that too many journalists have ceded control of sports opinion and conversation. While he says he likes many of the athletes now in prominent roles, he does not believe they belong in that proverbial driver’s seat.

Athlete Power Play

He attributes this shift largely to the power leagues have allowed players to acquire. According to Whitlock, today’s athletes operate in an era of empowerment, building business relationships with corporations that also partner with franchises and team owners.

This dynamic, he says, has reshaped how journalism holds players, owners, and leagues accountable.

“Who has power and authority changed,” explains Whitlock. “Players have some level of power, and they need to be held accountable. But in business with the corporations, they don’t want their partners [athletes] to be questioned. Corporations don’t want to be questioned. The athletes, media and executives have all formed a partnership… We’ve turned over too much power and influence over to the athlete.”

Whitlock believes these relationships extend to the networks that cover the leagues. Having worked for both ESPN and FOX Sports in various roles, he says networks have deprioritized developing strong studio programming in favor of maintaining league partnerships.

Instead of leaning on journalism as their foundation, networks often rely on athletes who already maintain business ties with the leagues.

“They’re very limited in what they can do. They need to create content that promotes these leagues, moving away from journalists who will say what they think from time to time,” said Whitlock. “I don’t think the industry moved away from journalism and truth. It’s because of the partnerships between the leagues, media companies, and the advertisers that has caused what we have now.”

Fearless Criticism

In 2021, Whitlock found a new home with Glenn Beck’s Blaze Media company. He hosts a daily podcast, Fearless, which he describes as roughly 95% sports content, with elements of culture and politics woven in. He believes sports provide a gateway to discussing broader issues in American society due to their wide-ranging touchpoints.

At his core, Whitlock sees himself as a media critic, a role rooted in his admiration for Mike Royko. That stance has led to numerous public disputes with high-profile media figures.

None more notable than his clashes with ESPN First Take commentator Stephen A. Smith, whom many view as having followed a similar career path.

“As a culture critic, sportswriter, and a commentator. He’s done nothing that I’m jealous of. He’s a really bad knockoff of what I do and have done in this industry. Does it disappoint me that the sports media world and corporations would rather have a horrible knockoff of what I do? Instead of the real authentic thing? Yes, it frustrates and irritates me,” explained Whitlock.

Whitlock insists he holds no jealousy toward Smith or his status with ESPN and SiriusXM Radio, among others. In fact, he says he praises Smith when he agrees with him—albeit a rare occurrence.

Regarding ESPN positioning Smith as the face of the network, reportedly with a $20 million annual salary, Whitlock believes more qualified journalists were overlooked.

“I’m just honest enough to say that’s a travesty. Everyone else will avoid talking about it because they don’t want to seem jealous. It’s not jealousy, it’s a travesty. People with real credentials in real sports journalism are there. ESPN choose otherwise,” explained Whitlock. “If ESPN is going to anoint someone as the face of their organization when there were so many other options, then shame on all of us.”

Building A Brand On Digital

Now in his fifth year hosting Fearless, Whitlock continues to chart his own course in the spirit of Mike Royko, leaving few opinions unspoken. He believes there is still much to accomplish in the evolving sports media landscape.

Even as he operates within a digital ecosystem driven by algorithms and news feeds, Whitlock feels he is only beginning to tap into what lies ahead.

“I’m going to continue my path in this new digital sports media environment,” notes Whitlock. “I know that I’m going against what you’re supposed to say. So, the algorithms are never going to be on my side. I think I got a lot to accomplish and look forward to.”

And perhaps that’s the full-circle truth. Jason Whitlock didn’t just admire Mike Royko—he built his entire approach around him. Not the platform or the popularity, but the posture: a willingness to be uncomfortable and to challenge power, even at the cost of access, approval, or applause.

In an era where sports media is shaped by partnerships, branding, and carefully managed voices, Whitlock has chosen a different lane—one that isolates as often as it elevates. It’s messy, polarizing, and at times undeniably abrasive.

Whether viewed as a necessary critic or an unrelenting provocateur, Whitlock’s career underscores a central question facing modern sports media: not just who gets to speak, but who is still willing to risk something when they do. In that sense, love him or loathe him, Whitlock remains what he set out to be—not a product of the system, but a throwback to a time when columnists like Mike Royko didn’t just cover the conversation—they challenged it.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

John Mamola

John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.

linktr.ee/johnmamola

The post Why Jason Whitlock is Fearless, Unapologetic, and Comfortable Challenging Sports Media’s Biggest Voices appeared first on Barrett Media.

The NFL schedule release is one of the most important evenings for social media engagement. It’s also the last evening of off season opportunity till kickoff of the NFL regular season. The leaks, reports, rumors, and speculation drive listening, engagement, and reach unlike any other event on the NFL calendar. Who knew that the release of a schedule for 32 franchises could generate such attention that sports networks even craft special programming around it?

It’s a money-making, attention-grabbing, creativity-driven spectacle where teams and networks look to stand out among their peers plus earn digital clout.

While sports networks have found ways to cash in on the event and get creative themselves, far too many sports radio brands sit on the bench. That’s a huge missed opportunity—and not a small one.

The annual schedule drop has quietly evolved into a pseudo-holiday for the NFL content ecosystem. The moment the league office flips the switch, fans flood timelines, dissect matchups, circle revenge games, and begin mapping out their fall weekends.

For sports radio, this is not just a news event. It’s a live, multi-platform content engine waiting to be maximized, but only by those who plan and are willing to put forth the effort.

Understand the Gains

The first step is treating the evening like a tentpole broadcast, not a throwaway segment.

Stations in NFL markets should build out a full night of programming with a clear run-of-show, much like they would for the NFL Draft or trade deadline. That means pre-release buildup, live reaction during the rollout, and immediate post-release analysis.

Too often, stations wait until the next morning to react, ceding the most active engagement window to television and digital outlets. By the time morning drive hits, the conversation has already matured.

There’s also no excuse for not going live when the engagement is there. If you have play-by-play on your air, it has never been easier to go live on social platforms through free and paid streaming services. Can’t navigate a couple of hours behind the computer? Short-form video is a massive opportunity for radio to own the moment.

Forty-five seconds on the schedule layout can be a massive home run for engagement and reach.

Own the Hype

Leaning into anticipation is also key. The hours leading up to the official release often fill with credible leaks from insiders, which gives stations a runway to engage audiences before anything is confirmed. Hosts can react in real time, debate the validity of reports, and invite listeners to weigh in on rumored matchups.

This creates a sense of urgency and participation that mirrors the experience fans are having on social media. It also provides a strong cross-promotional opportunity for your audience and gives you the insider edge you want for credibility.

Equally important is embracing the second-screen experience. With attention spans shifting rapidly between forms of entertainment, this is where sports radio can excel.

Listeners are not consuming content in a vacuum during the schedule release—they’re scrolling, posting, and reacting simultaneously. Smart stations will integrate social media into their broadcasts by reading fan reactions on-air, running polls, and encouraging user-generated content.

The goal is to make the audience feel like they’re part of a live conversation rather than passive listeners.

Creativity Earns Revenue

Creativity should also extend beyond traditional talk segments. One of the biggest advantages sports radio has is personality. Lean into it.

Create themed segments around the schedule: Win-Loss projections, toughest stretches, trap games, and must-watch primetime matchups. If network television can execute this in real time, sports radio talent should be able to carry that responsibility.

Localize the content for your audience. Which games matter most to your market? Where are the travel challenges? What stretches will define the season?

Digital alignment is another critical piece. The best executions won’t live solely on-air. Stations should clip real-time reactions, post short-form videos, and publish quick-hit articles as the schedule unfolds.

If a host has a strong take, that clip should be on social within minutes.

While NFL teams have plenty of staff to create their schedule release sizzle reels, that doesn’t mean sports radio needs to sit on the sidelines. It has never been easier to create content for your digital audience using cloud-based platforms like Canva, Pixlr, BeFunky, and Adobe Express.

If your building doesn’t have a station account, get one. Don’t be left behind.

Revenue opportunities are also hiding in plain sight. The schedule release lends itself naturally to sponsorship integration. “Schedule Release Night presented by…” is an easy sell, especially for advertisers looking to align with football content and peak listening.

Stations can create sponsored segments, branded social posts, and even contests tied to the schedule—predict the record, pick the biggest game, or enter to win tickets. With proper planning, this night can generate incremental revenue without feeling forced.

Embrace the Chaos

Finally, stations need to commit to urgency and flexibility. The schedule release is not a linear event—it’s chaotic by nature. Embrace it.

NFL games are revealed in batches, leaks can contradict official announcements, and storylines emerge on the fly. Successful stations adapt in real time, shifting segments, extending discussions, and prioritizing what matters most in the moment.

In many ways, the NFL schedule release is a test of a station’s ability to think like a modern content brand. It rewards preparation, creativity, and responsiveness. Those that treat it as just another news item will continue to fall behind.

However, those willing to invest in the moment can turn a single evening into a powerful driver of audience growth, engagement, and revenue. In today’s sports media landscape, it’s not just about covering the story. It’s about owning the moment.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

John Mamola

John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.

linktr.ee/johnmamola

The post How the NFL Schedule Release Can Be Sports Radio’s Multiplatform Success Story appeared first on Barrett Media.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reveals the Thunder were rusty in Game 1 win against the Lakers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Entering the 2026 Playoffs, everyone knew that the Oklahoma City Thunder were the favorites to win the championship. They have lived up to those expectations because they have not lost a game after their first-round sweep of the Phoenix Suns, and this Game 1 win against the Los Angeles Lakers.

As the Thunder's leader and best player, Gilgeous-Alexander knows Game 1 was not their best performance. He admits they were a bit rusty after a long break, but that is what makes them scarier to the rest of the league.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander admits the Thunder were rusty in Game 1

The Thunder are the best team in the league because they have elite depth. Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren headline the team, but they have elite role players throughout the roster.

They even have Jalen Williams, who is their third star, but he is out injured at the moment. They have a deep rotation, elite coaching, and championship experience. That combination makes them such a tough matchup for anyone.

MORE: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander loves the rest the Thunder got after sweeping the Suns

The Thunder won Game 1 108-90, a dominant performance. However, it seems SGA and the rest of OKC's team are not satisfied because he spoke about how the Thunder were still rusty after a long layoff.

"They stuck with it. We were a little choppy, a little rusty tonight offensively. We stuck with it, made plays. They are obviously sending a lot of bodies at me; those guys stepped up to the plate confidently, that's all you could ask for," Gilgeous-Alexander said to Zora Stephenson after Game 1.

SGA is not satisfied with the performance, as he thinks there is a lot to clean up for Game 2. That kind of statement after  a dominant victory shows the Thunder's quality, as they are ready to keep improving to further dominate the Playoffs.

More NBA news:

• How Jalen Williams headlined the injury report for the Thunder
• LeBron James and the Lakers are against the odds in a matchup vs the Thunder
• Austin Reaves talks about the discussions about he and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's free-throw shooting
• LeBron James knows the quality of the OKC Thunder's team
• The Lakers can't keep up on the road in Game 1 against the Thunder

Top Yankees pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez took the mound Tuesday night for his second career start. 

After making his major league debut in Arlington against the Rangers, Rodriguez stood across the same lineup, but this time, in front of fans at Yankee Stadium.

"Better than what I expected. It was always a dream of mine pitching here," Rodriguez said after his start. "I was excited and it was a blast... Ever since I was a little kid, I was dreaming of playing in the big and hopefully play for the Yankees, extremely blessed and thankful for the opportunity to be here and wear pinstripes."

While it was a dream come true for Rodriguez, it started like a nightmare.

Rodriguez walked the first two batters of the game and it came back to bite him. That lack of control sullied what was otherwise a strong start from Rodriguez, and it was in danger of doing so again. The Rangers took advantage of the walks to put up a three-spot before the Yankees even came to bat. 

The young right-hander had to throw 37 pitches to get out of the first frame, but Rodriguez would find his way. He settled in and was able to pitch into the fifth for the second time and the offense was able to tie the score at 3-3. Rodriguez was close to getting through the fifth, too, but the Rangers got three on base before Aaron Boone had to pull his youngster. 

Brent Headrick came in and slammed the door on Texas to put an end to Rodriguez's stat line.

"Just having a hard time getting settled. Again, though, credit to him. It could have really gotten away there," Boone said of Rodriguez's performance. "To have two long at-bats to start it and lose them both. Then a base hit right away, to limit the damage somewhat and still grind his way through it. Proud of the effort and a great learning experience. You’re in the fire there. It can go haywire really quick. He didn’t flinch. It certainly wasn’t perfect, but he battled his butt off."

"First inning wasn’t the first inning I was trying to go for," Rodriguez said. "Two walks to start the game, I can’t be doing that. Makes me go into trouble, struggled a little bit there. After that, just tried to be simple, just go there, attack and not try to do too much and it felt like it worked better."

That simplification helped Rodriguez get through the bulk of his start, and leave runners on base -- the Rangers left 12 on Tuesday. He credited going one pitch at a time and executing. 

"I got good stuff," Rodriguez said. "Just trust in myself, stay in the zone and got good results."

"He’s got good stuff. He’s a good athlete," Boone said. "I feel like he was able to slow the situation down enough. In a night where he was struggling to get the ball where he wanted consistently."  

Following Tuesday's win, the Yankees optioned Rodriguez back to Triple-A.

The move isn't shocking. It doesn't have everything to do with Rodriguez's performances but with the imminent return of Carlos Rodon,who likely pitched his final rehab start with Scranton on Tuesday night.

Although his Yankee Stadium experience was brief, the 22-year-old can use that experience and continue his development at a level where he excelled. In his four starts with Triple-A this season, Rodriguez had a 1.27 ERA and walked just seven batters, just one more than his first two starts in the bigs, so the organization knows the control is there, and if he continues to pitch well this season, Tuesday may not be the last time Rodriguez dons pinstripes.

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Morton took a step closer to a Mid-Illini Conference girls soccer title with an impressive road win Tuesday.

The Potters got first half goals from Addy Blake, Clarie Ceresa and Lily Klopfenstein on the way to a 4-0 win at Dunlap. Morton (16-1-1, 6-0) stays alone in first place with the win a half-game ahead of Washington, which beat Canton.

Dunlap (7-4-6, 4-1-1) suffered its first loss in the conference and slips behind Washington (11-2-3, 5-0-1) in the league race.

Elsewhere, Metamora won five of seven singles matches in its boys tennis showdown with Dunlap. The Redbirds beat the Eagles, 7-2, in a match-up of two of the top teams in the state.

Normal West, Dunlap, Washington, and Metamora won softball games. Host Central Catholic finish second to Tolono Unity in both boys and girls track in the Illini Prairie Conference meet on Tuesday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.

HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) — The University of Evansville men’s basketball team has added another player to their 2026-27 roster from the transfer portal in Makuei Riek.

The 6’6 guard from Rochester, Minnesota played in 20 games for Salt Lake Community College last year as a redshirt sophomore. During his time on the floor, Riek averaged about 13.5 points and 4.5 rebound per game while shooting above 40 percent from behind the three point line and from the field.

UE is his fourth collegiate stop including a season at Milwaukee and Fairfield. Riek is the fifth addition from the portal for the Purple Aces this offseason.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW).