Mar 30, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives against Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (5) during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 47 points to lift the host Oklahoma City Thunder to a 114-110 overtime win over the short-handed Detroit Pistons on Monday in a matchup of conference leaders.
Gilgeous-Alexander opened overtime with a step-back jumper, found Alex Caruso for a corner 3-pointer with just more than a minute remaining and then hit six free throws in the final minute. Oklahoma City won for the 15th time in 16 games.
Detroit was short-handed, playing without its top five scorers, but the Pistons stayed in the game in large part due to a 16-4 advantage in second-chance points.
The Pistons, who got 21 points and 10 rebounds from Paul Reed, had their two-game winning streak snapped.
Spurs 129, Bulls 114
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Victor Wembanyama continued his brilliant play by racking up 41 points and 16 rebounds while helping host San Antonio to a victory over Chicago in a late-season interconference clash.
The Spurs won for a league-leading ninth straight outing and kept pace with Oklahoma City in the hunt for the best record in both the Western Conference and the NBA as a whole. It was Wembanyama’s third game with 40 or more points this season. Stephon Castle added 21 points for San Antonio while Keldon Johnson scored 15.
Tre Jones led Chicago with 23 points. Leonard Miller added 21 off the bench, Collin Sexton had 20, Guerschon Yabusele hit for 15 points and Matas Buzelis finished with 12 for the Bulls, who have already been eliminated from the postseason.
Heat 119, 76ers 109
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Tyler Herro hit two key 3-pointers, Bam Adebayo recorded a 23-point, 16-rebound double-double in a head-to-head with Joel Embiid, and Miami came on strong down the stretch to turn back visiting Philadelphia.
Herro finished with a game-high 30 points and Pelle Larsson added 20 for the Heat, who moved into a virtual eighth-place tie in the Eastern Conference with Orlando.
Embiid had a team-high 26 points and Tyrese Maxey 23 for the 76ers, who remained in seventh place in the East but saw their lead over the Heat and Magic cut to 1 1/2 games.
Hawks 112, Celtics 102
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Jalen Johnson collected 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists as Atlanta extended its home winning streak to 13 games with a victory over Boston.
Atlanta received 20 points, 10 rebounds and three assists from Onyeka Okongwu, plus 18 points from Dyson Daniels. The Hawks have won 16 of their past 18 games.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, but he shot 9 of 29 from the field and committed six turnovers. Luka Garza added 20 points and nine boards for the Celtics, and Payton Pritchard finished with 16 points.
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Suns 131, Grizzlies 105
Devin Booker scored 36 points while playing just three quarters and Jalen Green added 21 points and six boards as visiting Phoenix trounced Memphis.
The Suns won their second straight by closing strong, outscoring the Grizzlies 40-16 in the final quarter. The Suns were dominant in the paint, where they scored 68 points.
Memphis got 17 points off the bench from Tyler Burton but lost for the 14th time in 16 games. Cam Spencer scored 16 on 6-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-5 success from long range.
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Lakers 120, Wizards 101
LeBron James posted the 125th triple-double of his career while leading Los Angeles to a comprehensive win over visiting Washington.
James compiled 21 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists to become, at 41 years, 90 days, the oldest player to notch a triple-double, surpassing his own record of 41 years, 79 days. It was his third triple-double of the season. Austin Reaves, Jaxson Hayes and Luke Kennard contributed 19 points apiece for the Lakers, who have won 15 of their past 17 games.
Will Riley scored 20 points, Justin Champagnie added 18 and Tristan Vukcevic had 14 for Washington, which has lost 19 of its past 20 outings.
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Cavaliers 122, Jazz 113
Evan Mobley scored a season-high 34 points, collected a season-high 17 rebounds and blocked three shots to lead Cleveland past Utah in Salt Lake City.
Donovan Mitchell added 34 points to help the Cavaliers win their fifth consecutive road game. James Harden dished out a game-high 14 assists to go along with 13 points, and The Cavaliers outscored the Jazz 82-40 in the paint.
Kyle Filipowski tallied 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals to lead Utah. Cody Williams added a team-high 26 points for the Jazz, who have lost six straight games and 10 of their past 11 contests.
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Timberwolves 124, Mavericks 94
Ayo Dosunmu recorded his second career triple-double, finishing with 18 points, a career-high 15 rebounds and 12 assists to lead Minnesota to a road rout of Dallas.
With All-NBA guard Anthony Edwards coming off the bench and limited to 22:37 of playing time in his return from a knee injury, Dosunmu stepped up to shoulder some of the offensive load. Rudy Gobert posted 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Julius Randle netted a game-high 24 points.
Daniel Gafford led Dallas with 21 points on 9-of-11 field-goal shooting, while Rookie of the Year hopeful Cooper Flagg was held more than eight points below his season-long scoring average with 12 points on 5-of-19 shooting from the floor.
Ping’s latest putters aren’t “Zero-Torque,” but their take on the putter industry’s biggest craze has loads of other ways to help you get it in the hole.
The company is bringing its first Onset putters to a full retail release in the new Scottsdale TEC line after teasing the technology with a PLD limited release last year. Of the three head shapes in the line, two are in Ping’s Onset configuration, which moves the shaft back behind the putter face, but not directly through the center of gravity of the putter.
The striking white mallets also feature Ping’s new EyeQ alignment technology to help focus your eye and deliver the putter more accurately.
“The new Scottsdale TEC putters represent an exciting new opportunity for golfers to improve their putting,” Ping CEO & President John K. Solheim said in a release. “The use of eye-tracking research has given us some great insights into the best ways to help golfers improve their focus and sink more putts. We’ve also chosen to make this line exclusively mallets to better serve the growing market for these types of designs while continuing to offer stroke-type fitting through optimal CG placement. All the Scottsdale Tec models are designed with proven Ping performance, including high MOIs and a fantastic feel. We’re seeing some nice Tour adoption as well as we come into the key season.”
Keep reading below for more on the Ping Scottsdale TEC putters, including my take on the release.
What’s actually new with Ping Scottsdale TEC putters — and why you should care
Why Ping’s Onset putters aren’t “Zero-Torque”
Ping Principal Design Engineer Tony Serrano describes the difference between Ping’s Onset putters and “Zero-Torque” putters by imagining you need to haul a trailer with your car. You’re always going to tow it, and it goes where you lead it. But when you have to reverse your car, maneuvering that trailer in front of you becomes very difficult.
Ping’s approach to Onset putters is the same: the shaft sits in front of the Center of Gravity, rather than directly through it, as in other low-torque putters on the market.
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“With zero torque, the shaft axis is going directly through the CG,” Serrano told GOLF. “That’s not what we want. We still want to pull the CG, because that’s what creates stability through the stroke. So even though the shaft is set back, the CG is far enough behind it that you’re always pulling it, not pushing it.”
Ping’s Onset putters are not “Zero Torque.”
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
That means Ping can push the CG farther back in the head to add stability and by moving the shaft back, that frees up the face to help you align the club (more on this in a bit).
The configuration also means the shaft and CG relationship is very similar to a blade putter, while still having mallet stability. Despite the center-shafted design, the Ally Blue Onset has five degrees of toe hang while the Ketsch Onset has 15 to fit Ping’s straight and slight arc stroke types, respectively.
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“Because we can move the CG so far back with the aluminum body and steel sole, that shaft-to-CG relationship gets closer to what you see in a blade,” Serrano said. “So you kind of get the balance and feel of a blade, but with the forgiveness of a mallet.”
The Hayden, a new shape for Ping, is a more traditional round mallet shape with a double-bend shaft.
Keeping a Quiet Eye
One of the major benefits of the Onset is the ability to afford the golfer a completely unobstructed view of the face, making alignment easier.
Scottsdale TEC takes that concept even further by introducing EyeQ alignment technology.
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EyeQ alignment technology on the Scottsdale TEC putters.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
The EyeQ technology came from studies linking the phenomenon known as Quiet Eye where the longer duration a player can lock their gaze on the ball during the stroke, the stronger the correlation to skill and better performance.
Ping engineers found a dot on the topline of the putter, followed by a line that significantly improved Quiet Eye when compared to a solid line or a blank top.
“What we found with the dot is that it really helps quiet the eyes,” Seranno said. “When players had nothing or just a line, their gaze was moving around a lot more, but with the dot it just locked in. Right before they start the stroke, everything is focused in one place.”
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Until I saw the putters, I was confused what the eye was supposed to do once you started the stroke and moved the putter, but I found my gaze immediately locked on the ball in that moment.
The bright white finish helps the alignment feature stand out even more and grabs the consumer’s attention at retail.
Same name, new TEC
The Scottsdale name is an important one for Ping, whose founder, Karsten Solheim, began designing putters in a Scottsdale garage.
It was used last year for the initial line of Scottsdale putters, which featured a soft PEBAX insert, a material commonly used for superior energy transfer in running shoes.
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The Scottsdale TEC putters have a soft PEBAX insert.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
But the new Scottsdale TEC line stands out from its predecessor with multi-material construction. Instead of the bodies being cast steel, the rest of the putter is milled from aluminum with steel sole plates.
Milling out of aluminum allowed Ping much more flexibility with the CG properties, one of the reasons they were able to create the stability from the Onset configuration.
“The biggest thing is going from a cast head to a milled aluminum head with a steel sole,” Serrano said. “That gives us a lot of discretionary weight to move around, so we can really maximize MOI and place the CG exactly where we want it. It’s just a higher level of precision and performance compared to cast.”
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The Ping Scottsdale TEC putter lineup
There are three shapes in the Scottsdale TEC line with two being in the Onset configuration. The Ally Blue Onset is also available with a counter-balanced setup.
Ally Blue Onset
The Scottsdale TEC from all angles.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
What is it: A square mid-mallet shape with an onset shaft and 5 degrees of toe hang for players with minimal stroke rotation. Also available in a counter-balance model.
Who it’s for: Players who want an ultra-stable and easy-to-align mid-mallet to match a straight-back and straight-through stroke.
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Ketsch Onset
The Ketsch Onset from all angles.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
What is it: A larger mallet with 15 degrees of toe flow to match strokes with a slight arc.
Who it’s for: Players looking to take advantage of the alignment and stability benefits of onset, but with more of a feeling of release through the stroke.
Hayden
The Hayden from all angles.
Ping
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What is it: A more traditional round mallet shape with a double-bend shaft for face balance.
Who it’s for: Players with minimal arc who want to take advantage of alignment aids but in a traditional configuration.
My take: Something in between low-torque and conventional
As someone who has been using a low-torque for the better part of the last six months, both of the Scottsdale TEC Onset putters really intrigue me.
With both, you’re able to get the extreme stability that has been a staple of this new putter category, get the aiming benefits of having the shaft off the face all the while retaining the feel of the putter releasing that I’m so used to.
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I’ve been experimenting with low-torque putters as a way of resetting my hands, similar to what Rickie Fowler talked about in his switch back to a center-shafted putter. These Scottsdale TEC Onset putters offer a way of doing that while still having an awareness of the putter face.
In my testing, I’ve also found the PEBAX insert, which I thought was a bit soft on the original Scottsdale line, so be a little more responsive and feel more like a milled putter, which is something Tony Finau mentioned when he switched to the Ally Blue Onset this year. It’s definitely still on the softer side, something I prefer, but not mushy, making it easier to transition from a milled face to this.
The thing you notice right away is how easy these putters are to aim, thanks to both the high contrast white look and the EyeQ alignment aids. It’s very easy to lock onto the dot before your stroke and then lock onto the ball when you take it away.
I look forward to seeing where this configuration goes. Ping has been taking their time with their Onset models, with this being the first full retail release after the PLD Milled Special Edition Ally Blue Onset last year. The Ketsch is a nice additional option to the Ally Blue, but I’d love to see what other shapes the configuration would work with as well as the alignment aids.
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I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s more to come here.
Price, Specs and Availability
Ping’s new Scottsdale TEC putters are available for pre-order starting March 31 and will arrive at retail locations on April 9.
Each putter will cost $399.99.
Stock specs are as follows:
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Loft: 3˚ Lie: 70° Lengths: 35″ (37.75″ for Ally Blue CB)
Head Weights: 370 g (Ally Blue Onset and Ally Blue Onset CB), 360 g (Hayden), 350 g (Ketsch Onset)
Stroke Types: Straight Arc (Ally Blue Onset, Ally Blue Onset CB and Hayden), Slight Arc (Ketsch Onset)
The Ghana Football Association has announced the dismissal of Otto Addo as head coach of the senior national team, the Black Stars.
The decision follows a disappointing run of results during the March international window. Ghana lost 2–1 to Germany national football team in Stuttgart, just days after suffering a heavy 5–1 defeat to Austria national football team.
After the loss to Germany, an emergency meeting was held involving the Football Association, the Sports Ministry and the coach to review the team’s performance and decide the next step.
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In a statement released on Tuesday, the GFA confirmed that Addo’s appointment had been terminated with immediate effect.
“The Ghana Football Association has parted ways with the Head Coach of the senior men’s national team, Otto Addo, effective immediately,” the statement said.
The Association thanked Addo for his service and contributions to Ghanaian football and wished him well in his future career.
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The GFA added that plans for a new technical direction for the Black Stars will be announced soon.
Ghana are scheduled to play friendly matches against Mexico national football team and Wales national football team in May as part of their preparations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in North America.
The IPL Governing Council on Tuesday expressed its deepest condolences on the untimely death of Jan William Langford, a British broadcast engineer who was working with the BCCI for the 2026 edition of the league
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson had been in the news over the last few weeks after NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky ranked him higher than reigning Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza for the 2026 NFL draft.
While Orlovsky’s bold statement sparked controversy, Simpson is widely regarded as the top quarterback prospect behind the Indiana Hoosiers sensation.
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However, veteran NFL analyst Skip Bayless isn’t convinced by the hype surrounding the Alabama quarterback’s rising draft stock. In an appearance on “The Arena: Gridiron” podcast, Bayless outlined Simpson’s low accuracy in pressure situations.
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“In any of these teams trying to fall in love, trying to talk themselves into Ty Simpson in the first round, are playing for, so to speak, a tie,” Bayless said. “You’re playing for a tie with Ty because he’s average at best. You’re just trying to convince yourself that your eyes aren’t seeing what they’re really seeing. Because, to your point, the eye test of Ty Simpson is a fail.
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“I’m not even sure it’s a second round grade… But with this kid, the arm is average at best, the arm talent is average at best. And when he finally hit the big time games down the stretch, as you pointed out, that’s when the accuracy got dangerously low.”
The New York Jets, who hold the No. 2 and No. 16 picks for the 2026 NFL draft, are one of the teams linked with Simpson in the offseason. The Cleveland Browns, who had their issues at the position last season, are another team linked with the Alabama quarterback.
NFL analyst has Jets selecting Ty Simpson in his mock draft
While Ty Simpson is backed as the second-best quarterback in this year’s draft class, ESPN’s Matt Miller has the Alabama quarterback going to the Jets in the second round in his mock draft.
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“New York can take him here, allow him a year to develop behind Geno Smith, then evaluate his future,” Miller wrote. “Simpson is a talented distributor who is accurate in a clean pocket but struggled down the stretch. His questionable decision-making could drop him to Round 2.”
Simpson’s lack of experience as a starter could see him on the bench in a backup role at the start of his NFL career.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) remain one of the most successful franchises in IPL history, sharing the record of five titles with Mumbai Indians and boasting 10 final appearances. Their dominance in a fiercely competitive league reflects not just on-field excellence but also a well-structured system built over the years. A major factor behind their sustained success has been the stability provided by the ownership group, which has consistently backed players and maintained a balanced squad.CSK’s philosophy has always revolved around trust and continuity. Unlike many franchises, they have prioritized retaining a strong core group even after auctions, showing long-term faith in their players, support staff, and team environment. This approach has also contributed to nurturing players who go on to perform at the international level.They have shown remarkable consistency not just on the field but also off it, with Stephen Fleming serving as their head coach since 2009. His long-term guidance has been key in building a stable, experienced team, helping CSK maintain a winning culture and remain one of the most dominant IPL franchises.Former India cricketer Abhinav Mukund highlighted another unique aspect of CSK’s culture, their strong backing of players beyond the field. He revealed that the franchise has a long-standing tradition of doubling the prize money offered by the BCCI, regardless of the team’s result, a gesture that reflects their commitment to player welfare. “I think the credit should also go to the management. That time, they clearly told us that whatever prize money BCCI is offering you, whether we are losing or winning, we will double it. And this is a tradition of Chennai from day one. Ask any clear Chennai player, they will say ‘this is a tradition that they have followed’, so at that point it felt like a huge thing,” Mukund said on Doordarshan Sports.
CSK’s unforgettable start in IPL 2026
In their IPL 2026 opener on March 30, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) secured a crushing 8-wicket victory over the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Guwahati. After RR’s pace attack, led by Nandre Burger (2/26) and Jofra Archer (2/19), dismantled the CSK lineup for a meager 127, 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stole the show by smashing the season’s fastest fifty in just 15 balls. Rajasthan chased down the target in a mere 12.1 overs, finishing at 128/2 to hand CSK a heavy defeat in a match that also featured Sanju Samson’s quiet debut for Chennai and Ravindra Jadeja’s successful two-wicket return to the Royals.
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Kumar Kushagra, Glenn Phillips, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kagiso Rabada, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Ashok Sharma, Jason Holder, Tom Banton, Luke Wood, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Arshad Khan, Anuj Rawat, Kulwant Khejroliya, Gurnoor Brar, M Shahrukh Khan
Predicted Playing XI with Impact subs
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Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal. Impact Player: Nehal Wadhera
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Jason Holder, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna. Impact Player: Kagiso Rabada
Usyk vs Verhoeven was booked to take place at the Pyramids of Giza – a striking location for a spectacle fight – but the war in the Middle East may see it moved.
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The unified heavyweight champion was asked about this during a recent interview with Suspline Sport, and said that he was aware that a ‘plan B’ is being explored.
“The team is 100% looking at plan B, but I don’t even think about it. I know I have to train, and if anything happens, the team tells me, and I don’t get nervous. I just pray and that’s it.”
The UK’s guidance currently advises against all but essential travel to parts of Egypt amid the US-Iran war. The State Department’s stance for US citizens remains at Level 2 – Exercise Increased Caution for the country, though many regions are at the highest Level 4 advisory of Do Not Travel.
Implications on the sporting world from the war have also been felt in Saudi Arabia, which has become a boxing hub in recent years.
It is game day for some of the top players in the country as the McDonald’s All-American Game will tip off tonight in Arizona.
For Kentucky, this game has become a time when we get a chance to watch recruits take the floor who will be headed to Lexington next season. At least on the men’s side of things, that is not the case this year, as the Cats have no commitments that made the cut. However, we will get to watch one player that still has Kentucky right at the top of his list in No. 1 overall player Tyran Stokes.
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Originally rumored to be committing tonight, things seem to have shifted once again with a commitment date pushed back, according to Joe Tipton of On3.
March 30th Update: Sources indicate Stokes is now unlikely to announce his commitment on Tuesday. His decision will likely be pushed back a week or so.
Now, we just have to wait and see if that means good news for Mark Pope and his staff, or if it just delays the inevitable, it seems, and he heads to Kansas.
For Kenny Brooks and the women’s team, however, the BBN will get a look at three future Wildcats on the court in Emily McDonald, Savvy Swords, and Maddyn Greenway.
McDonald actually won the 3-point shooting contest, giving fans a glimpse of what she’ll bring to Lexington!
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum met FIFA’s President Gianni Infantino to assess preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada in June and July.
Sheinbaum said on her social media account that she had breakfast with Infantino at the National Palace “because we are evaluating everything for the upcoming World Cup,” adding that “everything is going to be wonderful.”
The tournament kicks off on June 11 at the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City with a match between the hosts and South Africa.
A friendly match between Mexico and Portugal was held at the Mexico City stadium last Saturday as part of the World Cup preparations. The event was marred by the death of a fan who fell from the second tier to the ground floor in the VIP box area.
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“This inauguration is going to be historic, exceptional,” said Sheinbaum while holding a FIFA pennant alongside Infantino.
The FIFA president echoed Sheinbaum’s sentiments, assuring that the World Cup will be “a success for Mexico.”
Infantino has been in Mexico since last week when he attended two Intercontinental Cup playoff matches in Guadalajara and Monterrey. He was also in Mexico City over the weekend for events with the Mexican Football Federation.
Concerns arose following the violent events that occurred on Feb. 22 in several Mexican cities after the capture and death of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in southern Jalisco state.
Among the cities hit by the wave of violence was Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco, which will be one of the three Mexican host cities for the World Cup, along with Mexico City and Monterrey, the capital of Nuevo Leon state.
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Mexico is scheduled to host 13 World Cup matches.
In early March, Mexican authorities presented their security plan for the World Cup, called “Plan Kukulkan,” which will involve some 100,000 members of the military and police forces, both federal and local.
The plan includes specialized training for officials, planning and operational exercises, early warning systems, security measures around stadiums, airports, roads, and hotels.
Germany beat Switzerland and Ghana in their March friendlies and it’s now less than two months until their World Cup squad will be announced. Who will be in the final 26-man selection? The core group of players is clear, but who made the most of the last international break before World Cup preparation begins and who did not?
Winners
Kai Havertz – With nearly 60 caps, Havertz is a key part of this team. Having been out with injury for a long time, his starting place was no longer secure but a return to fitness and form is timely. His combination play in Switzerland was impressive, and his roar after confidently dispatching a penalty against Ghana was the sign of a player beginning to hit his stride again. If there were any doubts about his role in the starting eleven, Havertz dispelled them swiftly in these two games.
Florian Wirtz – Another player who is guaranteed a ticket to the US this summer but who still excelled. His two goals and two assists in Basel speak for themselves. It was an exceptional display and in Stuttgart he helped set the tone, often brave with his choices on the ball. It felt significant that the 22-year-old delivered this display in the absence of Jamal Musiala, the player who he combined so well with at Euro 2024. It’s clear that even on his own, Wirtz can be the man for Germany when they need a spark.
Lennart Karl – The 18-year-old looked steady off the bench in Basel, but in Stuttgart he exploded into life. Bayern Munich’s newest jewel gave Nagelsmann a lot of good reasons to have him in the squad this summer. The agile little playmaker worked hard to win the ball back and ran at the Ghana defense at every opportunity. His desire to take on players is exciting to watch and an all-too rare a sight for Germany these days. He should have capped his performance off with a goal, but he sent the ball wide. Nevertheless, Karl looks destined to be on the plane now.
Nathaniel Brown – Perhaps it is too generous to say a player who only played 60 minutes against a largely defensive Ghana side was a winner during this international break, but such is the concern around the left-back spot for Germany that it might just be enough. The Frankfurt defender looked more than competent when called upon. A spot in the squad looks almost certain for the 22-year-old now, and given David Raum has not exactly made the spot his own, there is a possibility that even more gametime awaits Brown.
Losers
Angelo Stiller – He might be Stuttgart’s midfield conductor and darts prodigy Luke Littler’s favorite German player, but Stiller did not make the most of an unexpected chance. Called up after injuries to others, Stiller started both games but looked a little uncertain with the ball at times. He was also slow to close down Switzerland for their opener in Basel, a point that did not go unnoticed by Julian Nagelsmann. Pascal Gross’s decent showing in Stuttgart means it looks like this World Cup might come too soon for Stiller.
Julian Nagelsmann knows the core of his squad but has some big decisions to makeImage: Tom Weller/dpa/picture alliance
Nico Schlotterbeck – Despite starting both games and clearly being one half of the favored central defensive pairing with Jonathan Tah, the Dortmund defender struggled. He was sloppy in Switzerland, twice making mistakes in the build-up play that proved costly. In Stuttgart he was a bit more stable, but still looked a little out of sorts at times. He will travel and will likely start, but this might have given Nagelsmann food for thought over the recent decision to make Antonio Rüdiger a back-up.
Nick Woltemade – The plan was for the Newcastle striker to gain some confidence this break after enduring a tricky spell in England. Nagelsmann even spoke about how it made more sense to play a striker needing a boost rather than one in form (Deniz Undav). Sadly, the 24-year-old wasn’t able to make the most of it. In Switzerland, he did little with his 20 minutes off the bench other than head his one chance wide. In Stuttgart, he played almost 80 minutes but still couldn’t get on the scoresheet, missing a glorious chance in the first half and then hitting the bar in the second. He will almost certainly be in squad come May, but until then he needs to rediscover his form.
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