HOUSTON (AP) — Yainer Diaz homered and tied a career high with four hits and Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker also went deep to lead the Houston Astros to an 11-2 rout of the Texas Rangers Friday night that put them in first place in the AL West.
Jeremy Peña had three RBIs and Yordan Alvarez added two as the Astros tied a season high with 18 hits for their ninth win in 10 games to move a half-game ahead of Texas atop the division.
There were runners on first and third with one out in the second when LaMonte Wade Jr. doubled to make it 1-0. Nathan Eovaldi (10-9) plunked Peña on the arm to load the bases with two outs.
Alvarez followed with a single on a grounder to left field to score two and push the lead to 3-0.
Cam Smith tripled with two outs in the fourth before Peña extended his hit streak to 12 games with a single that made it 4-0.

#astros #texas #hits #lead

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — It was around Week 3 last season that Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton felt something was wrong with his shin.
That didn't stop Horton from returning a punt 95 yards for a touchdown in the third game of his rookie season, or hauling in two touchdown catches against the Washington Commanders in November.
But, Horton knew he was playing through an injury, and learned there was a crack in his shin after getting his leg checked out. Horton underwent surgery on his leg in February after missing the second half of the 2025 season, and had a metal rod inserted into it.
"I felt like I let the team down a bit, not being able to go back out there as much as I wanted," Horton said Friday. "There were times I still tried to go out there and run some routes and the trainers had to tell me to take it easy. Dealing with a bone thing, you have to let that heal."
The plan was originally for Horton to return during the Seahawks' Super Bowl run, but that never transpired.

#felt #touchdown

NEW YORK (AP) — Djordje Mihailovic scored in the final minute of first-half stoppage time and Toronto FC earned a 1-1 draw with New York City FC at Yankee Stadium on Friday night, but saw its winless streak reach 11 matches.
Nicolás Fernández scored on a penalty kick in the 9th minute to give NYCFC (7-6-5) an early lead.
The kick was awarded when Toronto (3-7-8) defender Richie Laryea picked up a yellow card for a foul on Agustín Ojeda.
It was the 13th goal for Fernández, tying him with Petar Musa of FC Dallas for the league lead. Hugo Cuypers also had 13 goals before transferring from the Chicago Fire to Club de Fútbol Monterrey.
Toronto tied it at the half when Mihailovic scored off a deflection seven minutes into stoppage time. Mihailovic has two goals in eight appearances this season.

#mihailovic #toronto #half

WASHINGTON (AP) — Shakira Austin scored a season-high 28 points and had 10 rebounds, Kiki Iriafen added 22 points and nine rebounds and the Washington Mystics beat the Dallas Wings 81-75 on Friday night.
Washington (16-12) has won four straight for the first time since September 2020.
Cotie McMahon made Washington's final field goal with 2:50 remaining in the fourth quarter for a 71-68 lead. Then, the Mystics closed it out by going 10 of 10 at the free-throw line.
Sonia Citron finished with 16 points for Washington despite going 3 of 18 from the field. Citron went 10 of 10 at the free-throw line, while Dallas only attempted 13.
Paige Bueckers led Dallas (18-11) with 23 points. Arike Ogunbowale scored 14 of her 20 points in the first half. The Wings have lost three of their last four games.

#mystics #citron #rebounds

Essex Post 91 relied on its offense to return to the top, combining for 20 runs over two games on the final day of the 2026 Vermont American Legion baseball tournament at St. Peter's Field in Rutland on Friday, July 31.
Essex Post 91 bested Ludlow Post 36, 9-5, in an elimination earlier in the day before hanging on for an 11-6 triumph over Lyndon Post 30 to claim the championship. It's Essex Post 91's first state ****** le since wrapping a three-peat in 2023, and the program's 14th overall.
Essex, which moves to 22-7 on the summer, advances to the Northeast Regionals, which will take place Aug. 5-9 in Worcester, Massachusetts.
For how Essex carved out two wins to secure the legion crown on July 31, see below:
Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Essex pushed across three runs, with Jake Philbrick's two-run single breaking a 3-all tie. Ludlow drew level in the next frame before Essex countered with a four-run outburst in the home half of the sixth. During the rally, Chris Morgan (RBI single), Garret Carter (two-run double) and Owen Labor (RBI single) produced run-scoring hits.

#three

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Management attributed the contract sales decline to faster-than-predicted VPG moderation at Bluegreen as the company lapped the high-growth launch period of HGV Max.
Sales execution fell short of expectations in the back half of the quarter, specifically localized to high-volume operations in Orlando and Myrtle Beach.
The company observed a shift in transaction mix toward trust-based sales and new buyers; while these carry lower average VPG, management views them as critical for long-term embedded value.
Tour growth remained robust at 6%, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of growth and indicating that recent softness is an execution issue rather than a demand-related trend.

#sales #Growth

Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP)'s Big Boy 4014, the world's largest operating steam locomotive, has been touring the country this summer, and grown adults keep tearing up when they see it. CEO Jim Vena said the tour east of the Mississippi wouldn't have been possible without one thing: the railroad operating firm's pending merger with Norfolk Southern, since Union Pacific's own tracks run west of the river. In part, the nostalgia tour is a goodwill campaign for the biggest deal in the company's history.
On the business itself, Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) reported a strong quarter. Revenue rose 12% to $6.86 billion, beating the $6.71 billion expected, and adjusted earnings came in at $3.41 a share versus $3.24 expected. The company raised its full-year guidance to high-single-digit earnings growth, up from mid-single digits. The stock rose about 2% in premarket trading. Costs rose too; operating expenses climbed 13% to $4.1 billion, mostly from a 63% jump in fuel costs linked to the Iran war.
Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) is trying to buy Norfolk Southern in a deal now valued around $71.5 billion, down from an earlier $85 billion price tag as terms have moved with Union Pacific's stock. It would create the first coast-to-coast U.S. railroad. The day before earnings, Union Pacific settled with Canadian National Railway, a major opponent that had been pushing regulators to demand more information. CN will drop its opposition in exchange for expanded Midwest access and a stake in two jointly owned terminal railroads. Vena called it proof the firm is "ready to move forward in the regulatory process." The deal still isn't approved, though. The Surface Transportation Board (STB) paused its review in May and just this week ordered Union Pacific to make employee-impact data public. Rivals BNSF and Canadian Pacific Kansas City are still lobbying against it, and some shippers and state attorneys general remain opposed. The companies still expect to close the deal in the first half of 2027.
That raises a real question. Is this merger clearing its last real hurdles, or did the CN settlement just remove one opponent out of several?
The core business (Union Pacific's actual railroad operations) is performing well on its own, guidance beat and rose, and pricing power held up despite surging fuel costs. The CN settlement removes a credible opponent and comes with political tailwinds too: Trump has publicly backed the merger and replaced a regulator who could have opposed it. Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) and Norfolk Southern say the deal would save shippers $3.5 billion a year and remove 2.1 million trucks from the road. Wall Street responded fast: Baird, RBC, and JPMorgan all raised price targets this week, with RBC citing the CN deal directly as strengthening the merger's case.

#union #deal

On this episode of Stock Movers:- Carvana (CVNA) is sinking after the online car retailer gave an annual adjusted Ebitda forecast with a midpoint below **** yst estimates. - Chipotle (CMG) and Starbucks (SBUX) raised their guidance after stronger-than-expected quarters, with sales bolstered by new menu items and revamped loyalty programs.- Crocs (CROX) shares are sinking after a soft outlook for this quarter pointed to a weak second half, pushing some investors to sell following a big rally in the company's shares this year.

#sinking #sbux

Ram, Jeep, and Fiat parent company Stellantis (STLA) reported solid first-half results on Thursday morning, but only reaffirmed its prior guidance. Investors clearly wanted more from CEO Antonio Filosa's turnaround plan.
For the half, Stellantis reported revenue of 81.61 billion euros ($93.20 billion) vs. 80.71 billion euros per Bloomberg consensus, up 10% compared to last year. Stellantis posted adjusted earnings per share of 0.32 euros ($0.37) vs 0.35 euros expected, and adjusted operating income of 1.733 billion euros ($1.98 billion), more than triple the 540 million euros ($614 million) posted a year ago.
Stellantis confirmed its prior 2026 guidance, projecting net revenues to rise in the mid-single digits in 2026, with low-single-digit adjusted operating income margin. The company aims to return to positive industrial free cash flow by 2027.
The company said its net tariff headwind for the year is estimated at 1.0 billion to 1.2 billion euros ($1.14 billion-$1.37 billion), but Stellantis received an IEEPA refund of 400 million euros ($456.3 million) in the first half of the year.
Stellantis shares fell over 4% in premarket trade.

#stellantis #year

MILAN — The Prada Group reported robust growth in the first half of 2026, boosted by a solid performance in the Americas and Asia-Pacific.
In the six months ended June 30, revenues rose 11 percent to 3.05 billion euros compared with 2.74 billion euros in the first half last year. At constant exchange rates, sales were up 16 percent and, excluding Versace, whose acquisition was officially completed last December, they rose 5 percent.
More from WWD
Boot Barn Beats Q1 Guidance But Sees Trends 'Moderating' Amid 'Challenging' Comparisons
Altra Is One of VF's Biggest Growth Stories: Here's Why

#percent #rose #euros

CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox have not been shy about their efforts to add starting pitching in the lead-up to the trade deadline at 6 p.m. ET Monday. The Sox are casting a wide net in their search for playoff-caliber rotation reinforcements, with the hope of getting back to the postseason for the first time since 2021.
The White Sox have been scouring the market in recent days, and sources tell Yahoo Sports that Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Shane Bieber and Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers are two names on Chicago's radar. Bieber is a familiar face to the White Sox, as he faced them for seven seasons while a member of the Cleveland Guardians. This year, the Blue Jays' right-hander is 2-2 with a 5.74 ERA in seven starts.
Rogers, who is 6-7 with a 4.27 ERA in 20 starts this season, has come on strong over the past month and a half. The Orioles' southpaw has a 1.85 ERA with 41 strikeouts across his past seven starts. Both Bieber and Rogers will become free agents at the end of the 2026 season.
Chicago, like other upstart contenders around the sport, would love to add controllable starting pitching to their roster if they can. But the Sox also aren't afraid to go the rental route, depending on what the market presents over the next few days. Yahoo Sports reported on Monday that the White Sox were showing interest in starting pitchers who fit the window of the team's young core, with Los Angeles Angels starter Reid Detmers high on their list.
Chicago has also continued to show interest in New York Mets right-hander Clay Holmes. The Sox were one of several teams who had representatives at Holmes' rehab start on Tuesday. The Mets' right-hander, who has a player option for 2027, can become a free agent at the end of this season.

#right

Tua Tagovailoa spoke Friday about his desire to keep bringing good vibes to the Atlanta Falcons as he addressed reporters during a training camp news conference. Throughout the 10-plus-minute media session, he beamed a smile.
Tagovailoa appeared relaxed, despite the fact that he's in the midst of a quarterback competition with Michael Penix Jr. and regardless of his recent injury. But Tagovailoa referred to the adage of focusing on controlling what you can control and noted that he believes the Falcons are holding him out of full practices out of precaution early in training camp.
That back tightness occurred sometime last week, according to the former Miami Dolphins signal-caller, who said the problem stems from a "flare up."
Both Tagovailoa and Penix were limited participants in Friday's practice. Tagovailoa, a 28-year-old one-time Pro Bowler coming off a six-season run with the Dolphins, took part in individual drills with other quarterbacks and completed a half-speed walkthrough with the offense late in practice, per ESPN, which reported that Tagovailoa didn't go through 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 sessions. Penix, a 26-year-old third-year pro still working his way back to 100% from a partially torn ACL that required season-ending surgery last year — his fifth season-ending injury in the span of eight seasons between his college and NFL careers — was in for individual drills and 7-on-7s on Friday, according to ESPN.
"I feel good," Tagovailoa said. "It feels good to be out there with the guys, be able to get some reps out there a bit, get some 1-on-1 reps, still be able to throw it to the guys."

#penix #good #dolphins

England's Acelya Toprak overcame India's Yamini Mourya in the women's -57kg judo final to win the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.
In an exhausting bout that went to golden score and lasted almost seven minutes, Toprak eventually forced Mourya into a third shido to claim victory.
The 28-year-old had won silver in 2022 but managed to go one better this time around in Glasgow.
"My last Commonwealth Games went exactly the same way. In the final it was two shidos each, we were into four-and-a-half minutes of extra time and I made that one misstep, over-stretched and got caught," Toprak told BBC Sport.
"So I'm very happy that this time I didn't do that, because that's shattering, that hurts.

#games

Rutgers offensive lineman Kwabena Asamoah was one of the three player representatives that the Scarlet Knights sent to Big Ten media days to speak on behalf of the program. He was joined by wide receiver KJ Duff and running back Antwan Raymond, who largely spoke about their decision to return to Rutgers. Asamoah's line of questioning was a little bit different, with his first major question revolving around the leadership he will bring to the Rutgers offensive line room this season.
With graduations and the transfer portal, Asamoah, who was named an All-American by ESPN last season, is the only returning starter on the Rutgers offensive line who played all 12 games at the same position.
"For me, it puts me in a position to, like you said, be a leader. That's an honor to me personally. When I came in as a young 17 year old there were guys on the team that helped me become the player I am today, so I am just blessed, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to do the same for others," said Asamoah when asked about what his experience means to him as he becomes a leader on the offensive line.
He was also asked about the relationship between the offensive line, the offensive line coach Jim Turner, and Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano.
"With our new coach, Coach Turner and Coach Schiano, I feel like they are on the same page, and coach Ciarrocca as well, I feel like they are all on the same page with how they want the offensive line to play and how they want the offense to operate, so you know with coach Turner coming in, we have been working hard at being violent, being passionate, you know playing hard every single down, so I am really excited for what this year holds," said Asamoah.

#asamoah

The Chicago Bears were back for the third practice of training camp on Friday, which welcomed fans to Halas Hall for the first open workout of the summer.
The Bears put on a show for the fans on Day 3, which was dominated by the offense and featured several standout performances. Quarterback Caleb Williams is off to a hot start this training camp, and his connection continues to grow with his returning cast of weapons in Colston Loveland, Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. There was also an interesting left tackle battle update, where for the first time this summer it wasn't Braxton Jones running with the first team. Meanwhile, the defense put up a bit of a fight during red zone drills, where Williams threw his first interception of camp.
Here's what we learned from the third practice of training camp:
The Bears offense has overwhelmingly dominated the first three practices of training camp, although the defense has had a few moments. On Friday, it was quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent putting on a show for fans leading Chicago's explosive passing attack that's remained mostly unstoppable. According to Chris Kwiecinski, "Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent stole the show. They were in command, deadly accurate and anticipated routes so well." Williams' connection with Colston Loveland and Rome Odunze thrived while Bagent developed a nice rapport with Jahdae Walker, per Michal Dwojak. Even after Williams threw his first interception of the summer to Jaylon Johnson during red zone work, he "regrouped and made positive plays after."
The Bears offense had another impressive showing, but their one flaw came during the first red zone period, which was dominated by the defense. According to Courtney Cronin, both Montez Sweat and Austin Booker had sacks on back-to-back plays. Williams was picked off by cornerback Jaylon Johnson during a 7-on-7 red-zone drill, but he was able to bounce back later. Mark Carman noted that there was "some sloppiness in the red zone" where "Caleb showed some frustration and leadership." But the offense closed things out on a strong note with a successful two-minute drill, where there was 1:37 left, two timeouts, on own 39 with game tied at 10-10, per Adam Jahns. They went sox plays before Williams connected with Loveland for a 14-yard touchdown. But the best part according to Jahns? "Williams and Bears offense overcame a sack halfway through the drill. Williams-Loveland connection came through."

#williams #camp #offense #zone

Jul. 31—ROCHESTER — With two years remaining in her high school volleyball career, Laney Stellmaker has already decided on her next chapter.
The incoming junior setter for Century High School verbally committed to play Division I volleyball for Southern Illinois University Salukis in Carbondale, Ill, she recently announced on social media.
Once her recruitment opened on June 15, college coaches started reaching out to her. The first week was a whirlwind with Stellmaker averaging four phone calls per day. Her longest call, though, was with SIU.
"It was an hour long, and on the call, I could kind of feel that connection with the coaches," Stellmaker said. "And then I went to camps, obviously. And then after Southern Illinois' camp, I was talking to my dad, and I was like, 'This feels right. I think I want to go here,' and I already had an offer from them. I got it a week earlier, and so the next morning after camp, we made the decision to commit there."
All she needed was three and a half weeks to make her decision. Her campus visit sealed the deal.

#school #already

Detroit — The highest-ranked player at the Rocket Classic went low on Friday.
Cameron Young, No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking, came out blazing in the second round and shot a 9-under 61 to tie the course record and vault to the top of the leaderboard halfway through the final playing of the PGA Tour tournament at Detroit Golf Club.
Young opened with a first-nine 28, or 7 under, on the strength of six birdies in a row at one point. He even birdied the long, tough, par-4 17th, which yielded only five birdies in Round 1. Already a member of the exclusive 59 Club, he had thoughts of a double dip there until he grinded his way through the second nine, before rolling in a 20-footer for one more birdie at the par-4 eighth hole.
Young missed a 17-footer for birdie on his last hole, but it still was a clean, bogey-free card and Young, 29, who already has won twice this season including at The Players Championship, was at 10 under at the halfway point of the tournament. He was one shot ahead of first-round leader Peter Malnati.
More: The News' tee-to-green coverage of final Rocket Classic, right here

#young #round #already

Raymond Muratalla will defend his IBF lightweight ***** le against former super featherweight ***** list Robson Conceicao in the first-half of a world ***** le doubleheader this Saturday night on DAZN and TNT.
Muratalla, 29, is coming off of a career-best win over Andy Cruz, and Conceicao is definitely in what should be his declining years, but could this matchup contain some surprises?
by Scott Christ
Raymond Muratalla featured on Top Rank undercards for years, taking the little bitty steps that often come with Top Rank's more old school approach to matchmaking, which is also suited to their many non-blue chip type prospects, who need time to train, get better, and go fight-to-fight.
He took a decent jump in class against Zaur Abdullaev in May 2025, winning the interim IBF ***** le via wide decision, and then upset Andy Cruz with the full ***** le on the line in January of this year. That "upset" tag is maybe more dependent on our ideas of how good of a pro Cruz could be over what he's actually proven in the paid ranks, but either way it was an impressive performance by Muratalla (24-0, 17 KO), against a highly-skilled, in-prime opponent.

#raymond #years

Liverpool's summer had appeared to offer a familiar pathway for Ifeanyi Ndukwe, a gentle introduction, a period of ***** sment, then a decision once the season had found its shape. Instead, bureaucracy has intervened before football could. The club's plans for the young centre-back have been redrawn, and a loan now looks the most immediate route for his development.
Ndukwe, 18, arrived from Austria Wien with the profile of a player to be cultivated carefully. He has already left a favourable impression during pre-season, stepping in early for Joe Gomez in the 4-2 win over Sunderland and then completing the full 90 minutes in the 1-0 victory over Wrexham. Those were small glimpses rather than definitive statements, but they were enough to suggest composure, physical presence and the sort of adaptability Liverpool value in young defenders.
The original intention had been for Ndukwe to remain on Merseyside through at least the first half of the campaign. That would have allowed Liverpool to measure his progress within the senior environment before deciding whether regular football elsewhere was required. Yet the inability to secure a visa has changed the sequence.
His representative, Georg Lederer, explained the background in clear terms speaking to ORF: "The fact is that in the 2025/26 Premier League season, clubs had two exception spots where they didn't have to reach this points target. In the new season, this extra rule will be reduced by one spot.
"A loan club will now be found where Ifeanyi can gain playing experience at a very high level."

#season #Liverpool #Football #young

Jul. 31—GRAND FORKS — Some college football players arrive on campus with the immediate ability to be factors in the lineup.
Others take time to mature and develop, patiently waiting for an opportunity in the second half of their college eligibility.
Crookston's Ethan Boll is in the second category in the UND football program. However, the time is now for the junior linebacker.
During the first week of fall camp, Boll has been running with the starting defense alongside second-year Old Dominion transfer Michael Devereaux.
"I've seen him take a level up in knowledge of the defense, and he's really come a long way since January or February of 2025 when we first got here," UND linebackers coach Ben Watkins said. "He has gone from learning football and the position to really understanding, at a conceptual level, what we're trying to do, but also what offenses are trying to do against us in terms of the defense."

#boll #time #really

The possibility of Bradley Barcola becoming a Liverpool player is a genuine one, with the Reds set to make a bid for the PSG winger.
Liverpool are long-standing admirers of the France international and engaged in discussions last summer about his availability but eventually decided they didn't want to block the pathway of Rio Ngumoha.
With Mohamed Salah gone, the situation has changed. At half-time against Wrexham in New York, Ngumoha came on and played down the right - another indication that he will be used on both flanks this season. The 17-year-old was fortunate with the deflection for his goal but his directness makes life tough for defenders.
"All the coaching staff are just telling me to play my normal game really, whether that's going inside or outside. I've been working on it in training anyway, playing on the right and the left - just being unpredictable really," said Ngumoha.
He is a special talent while Victor Munoz, who Liverpool signed from Osasuna for £34m, is another one with plenty of potential. However, without Salah, Liverpool need high quality from the outset and Barcola could immediately provide that.

#right #bradley

John Holobetz, a former standout at Old Dominion, made a triumphant return to the mound in Norfolk, pitching 5 2/3 strong innings in his Triple-A debut to lead the Worcester Red Sox to a 3-1 victory over the Tides on Thursday night at Harbor Park.
Holobetz, a right-hander recently promoted from Double-A, allowed four hits and an earned run — Ryan Noda's solo home run — while striking out six without issuing a walk.
Holobetz had pitched at Harbor Park before when as a junior at Old Dominion in 2024 he was part of a team that faced the University of Virginia in the Commonwealth Classic. The Pottsville, Pennsylvania, native has made a rapid rise through the Boston Red Sox organization after being drafted in the fifth round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2024.
Former ODU star John Holobetz will make Triple-A debut Thursday vs. Norfolk Tides
Noda also doubled, but otherwise the Tides (9-19 second half, 37-66 overall) managed just a Jud Fabian double and three singles.

#holobetz #tides #thursday

Kooper Deputy's quest for gold at the United World Wrestling U17 Freestyle World Championships came to a controversial end in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Friday with a 10-7 loss to India's Aaryan in the quarterfinal round.
The 16-year-old from New Paris trailed the Indian, who competes under a mononym, 10-5 with 25 seconds remaining. The U.S. Open champion worked a half-nelson and an arm bar but couldn't turn Aaryan until just over a second remained in the bout. The Indian turned at that point, and a screenshot from video appears to show Aaryan's shoulders completely flat on the mat with a second remaining on the clock.
Deputy was awarded two points for exposure but not the fall, and a pin cannot be challenged so the decision stood, giving Aaryan a 10-7 victory.
Deputy can still medal in the tournament. He'll need Aaryan to reach the championship match to be pulled into the repechage, which Americans often refer to as the consolation bracket.
Aaryan avenged an Asian championships loss to Amirali Ragheb by throttling the Iranian 10-0 in the opening round, then stunned European champion Huseyn Rzazade of Azerbaijan with a late comeback for a 6-5 victory.

#championships

The Washington Commanders made a good amount of offseason moves in 2026, including bringing in new offensive and defensive coordinators. One of general manager Adam Peters' biggest goals was to fix the defense, and that's where most of the Commanders' roster changes took place.
As teams enter training camp and the Hall of Fame game is a week away, The Athletic released a new set of power rankings ahead of the 2026 season. The Commanders checked in at 23.
Last season: 5-12Last ranking: 26What's new? The defenseWashington signed 11 defensive free agents, and more than half of them are probably going to start, an admission that QB Jayden Daniels' return to full health won't be enough without a better defense. The Commanders were 27th in the league last year in points allowed (26.5), and coach Dan Quinn enters the season on the hot seat.
We won't go so far as to say that Dan Quinn is on the hot seat, but if the Commanders don't perform better in 2026 than they did in 2025, there will be serious discussions about his ability to get the job done. But context matters, and if the Commanders suffer a slew of injuries as they did in 2025, it's unlikely that Quinn's job is in jeopardy.
Still, signing that many free agents, plus adding Sonny Styles in the draft, makes for a difficult path forward. These players have never been a unit before this season, so it's not just about preparing them for the game plan on the field; they have to form connections with each other. Those connections build trust. That trust allows players to anticipate each other's moves and adjust accordingly.

#season #quinn

Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones were seemingly involved in an on-pitch argument on Thursday, potentially relating to Liverpool's captain's armband.
During Liverpool's 1-0 win over Wrexham in a pre-season friendly, which played out at Yankee Stadium in New York, Szoboszlai was replaced after providing the **** ist for Rio Ngumoha's goal.
Szoboszlai removed the captain's armband as he exited the pitch, handing it to Kostas Tsimikas, who had come on at half time, and the pair were involved in a heated conversation with Jones after the final whistle.
Dominik Szoboszlai (second-right) and Curtis Jones (right) pictured in April (Getty)
While it is unclear what exactly caused the confrontation, many fans have speculated that Jones was frustrated at Szoboszlai's decision to make Tsimikas captain, based on the young Scouser's gestures.

#involved #pitch #right

How do you react when you're told you'll be racing the Tour de France for the first time? For Britain's Zoe Backstedt, "When you get the phone call to say that you've been selected, it's like, OK, don't scream. You can scream after you've put the phone down."
The 21-year-old beams as she recounts the moment on video call with The Independent, a couple of days before her debut at the biggest race on the calendar. An electric first half of the season, including defending her ***** le at the Baloise Ladies Tour, top-five finishes at Dwars door Vlaanderen and Tour of Flanders, and the clean sweep of British national road and time-trial crowns, means the Welshwoman is full of confidence heading to the start line in Lausanne this weekend.
She still hadn't necessarily expected the call-up and was terrified of "jinxing it". "You don't want to say anything or do anything that could potentially make you not selected. It was basically showing that I was good enough at every time trial I've done this season, just giving it 110 per cent, really proving that I'm good enough to go."
Backstedt's prowess against the clock this year, in particular, has been remarkable, with four wins from five ITTs or prologues and her only defeat a second place in the Tour de Suisse time trial, won by none other than the reigning world champion, Marlen Reusser. Backstedt is also the current under-23 world champion in the discipline and will be among the favourites to take a maiden stage win in the Tour's time trial, a 21km run from Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon on stage four.
She is philosophical about the prospect of pressure on her shoulders, saying: "I'm still young. I've still got years to prove myself as well. For now it's like a focus on everything that you can do, to the best of your ability, really just keeping to myself and trying not to think too much outside of what I need to do on the day. A top 10, a top five, top three, even a win, all of those I think I can still be grateful for and and really be happy with.

#trial #five #really #i 've

Picture this: It's December 2033. Puerto Rico's "Huracan Azul," ("Blue Hurricane"), the national soccer team in a country better known for baseball, basketball, and boxing, face off against Scotland in the Deutsche Bank Men's World Cup, brought to you by Fanatics—your home for World Cup swag. Until this winter, Puerto Rico had never qualified for a major tournament; Scotland, meanwhile, had never qualified for the knockout round in a World Cup. As the teams kick off play at Saudi Arabia's NEOM, you idly watch, wondering if an upset will take place.
It won't; Scotland quickly score once, twice, three times. The score is 4–0 by the time the referee whistles for the Michelob ULTRA Hydration Break to take place. It's 5–0 at halftime; Puerto Rico scores a consolation goal before the second hydration break, but the Scots hang three more in the final minutes as the game finishes 8–1. As the game ends, bored spectators streaming out, the camera briefly flashes on the luxury boxes. A grinning Gianni Infantino, the FIFA commissioner, mugs obscenely with the Saudi king and other potentates. History, of a kind, has happened.
If you see nothing wrong with this, you're probably either one of Infantino's staffers or a blood relation. Certainly, Infantino thinks such a display would be amazing. According to The Times of London, the FIFA chief is working closely with Thrive Capital's Joshua Kushner (brother of Jared Kushner!) and JP Morgan on a proposition that would all but radically transform the men's and women's World Cups as we know them, and not coincidentally shovel millions into his acquisitive little mittens. The proposal—now roundly condemned by virtually everyone who's heard about it, including Britain's new prime minister—involves creating a private company that would control the World Cups. Each of FIFA's 211 national member ****** ociations would have a financial stake, estimated at around $20 million each. The Times estimates that the company would be valued at around $20 billion.
The report makes for wild reading. Now, stop for a moment. Think of how quickly and quietly this whole thing went from "consultations" to a set of signed, nonbinding agreements. This isn't an idle contrivance, set for a slow burn; banks like JP Morgan and people like Kushner don't engage in that kind of deal. This is a fast-moving plan of action, set in motion before anyone outside of FIFA's holiest of holies in Zurich even knew what was going down.
Suffice it to say: It's a spectacularly bad idea. The pressure to expand the World Cups, to play them every other year, or even annually, would be immense. The arm twisting to turn them into something that would make college bowl season look staid and decorous would be even greater.

#World #cups #times

Northern Ireland picked up their first netball win at the Commonwealth Games in their final game as they secured a resounding 78-39 victory over Trinidad and Tobago at the Hydro.
The win for the Warriors, who finished bottom of Pool A, ensures they finish the competition in 11th place with Trinidad and Tobago, who finished bottom of Pool B, ending up 12th.
NI dominated the first quarter to lead 19-10 and really took control in the second, scoring 21 times to move 40-18 ahead.
The Warriors pressed on after the half-time break and extended their advantage to 60-28 after the third quarter.
The final quarter was a bit closer, with NI winning it 18-11 to end a tough Games campaign on a high.

#pool

Texas A&M's 2026 schedule, per ESPN's latest FPI rankings, is the 9th-toughest in the SEC, while Arkansas (1), Oklahoma (2), and the Texas Longhorns (3) round out the top 3. Last season, the Aggies finished 11-2 with just one regular-season loss to the Longhorns at the end of the year, but earned impressive road wins over Notre Dame, LSU, and Missouri en route to the Aggies' first College Football Playoff berth.
Texas A&M will host Missouri State and Arizona State before Kentucky comes to College Station, followed by an early road trip to Baton Rouge against LSU and new head coach Lane Kiffin. For the Aggies to have any shot at making it back to the CFP, staying undefeated, or dropping just one game before taking on Alabama in Tuscaloosa on October 24 is absolutely critical.
After a record 10 players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, third-year coach Mike Elko returns 65% of his 2025 roster, combined with 17 players from the transfer portal and the 2026 signing class. Led by redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed, the Aggies will have a shot to match last season's record, but the second half of the schedule will all but determine A&M's postseason hopes.
Facing LSU, Missouri, Alabama, South Carolina, and Oklahoma on the road, coupled with hosting Texas in the annual Lone Star Showdown. We ranked each matchup from easiest to toughest for the 2026 season.
Citadel finished 4-8 last season, but the Bulldogs were competitive in all but three of their eight losses and likely won't present a challenge for Texas A&M a week after the Aggies face Missouri on the road. This should be a blowout, on paper, at least.

#missouri #last

UPDATED with the latest: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has become the latest to reject FIFA's proposal to sell stakes in tournaments to private investors.
The AFC has joined with the European and Americas football bodies meaning that it is now likely that more than half of FIFA's overall membership would reject the plan if it were put to a vote.
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