Nov 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright (26) breaks up a pass against Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson (10) during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
Since 2015, roughly 45% of NFL playoff teams fail to return to the postseason the next year. That means about six or seven teams qualify for the playoffs and then don’t make it back the following campaign.
So, we ask, who’s it going to be this year? These are our seven picks from 2025 playoff clubs that miss the tournament in 2026.
Recent Risers Face a Much Tougher Road in 2026
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) waits for the next play during the second quarter on Aug. 8, 2025, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The first-round rookie continued his preseason debut while beginning his NFL career with Carolina’s revamped passing attack. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers shockingly reached the postseason last year in the weak NFC South, and there’s no reason to believe that the division has markedly improved.
Too, Carolina checked in as the NFL’s 25th-best team per DVOA one year ago. That translated to eighth-worst. Think of it this way: based on the numbers, the Panthers were lucky to reach the dance. They won’t make it a sequel in 2026.
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Chicago Bears
Speaking of DVOA, Chicago finished 16th in 2025 — smack dab in the middle. Its season was propped up by an epic playoff triumph over Green Bay, which should not be discounted. Finally conquering the Packers was a big deal.
Still, Chicago won oodles of close games last year, and when the Vikings pulled off the same magic trick in 2022, they regressed to the mean in 2023, winning just seven games and missing the playoffs.
That will happen to Chicago.
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Denver Broncos
This article is not here to denigrate Denver. Hell, they reached the AFC Championship last year and might’ve been a Bo Nix injury away from the Super Bowl — or even winning it all.
Our theory here is that the Kansas City Chiefs will be back, resuming their dynastic tendencies, while the Los Angeles Chargers pester the Broncos.
Kansas City and Los Angeles will reach the postseason; Denver will narrowly miss out.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers basically gain the NFC’s seventh seed annually under quarterback Jordan Love. That’s fine, but it proves the club could be on the cusp of failing to qualify sooner rather than later. Green Bay lost oodles of players to free agency, and Micah Parsons probably won’t return until October or November.
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Couple that with the competition level in the NFC North, and the Packers will finish 8-9 or 9-8, snatching the eighth seed, not their precious seventh.
USA Today‘s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz recently noted, “With Parsons acknowledging he won’t return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament until at least mid-October, it’s clear that the Packers will have to navigate another season in which they’re not close to full strength.”
The Vikings might even take the Packers’ spot in the tournament.
New England Patriots
Drake Maye played buffoonishly in the AFC Championship and Super Bowl. Nobody really cared because New England overachieved in the first place. Yes, the Patriots added A.J. Brown via trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, and yes, the Patriots’ defense will play well in 2026.
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New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell greet one another after the preseason matchup on Aug. 16, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The veteran coaches shared a postgame moment after evaluating their teams in August exhibition action. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
But with head coach Mike Vrabel’s reputation a bit sullied, and with New England having one of the easiest schedules in NFL history last year, it will crash back to earth in 2026 and finish 8-9.
FOX Sports‘ Will Hill wrote in April, “The Patriots also notably had one of the easier schedules in league history last season, as their opponents had a combined winning percentage of .366, the lowest mark in the NFL since 1999. That will not only change this year but do so in dramatic fashion, as the Patriots will now battle a first-place schedule. “
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are due for a down season. Soon, their salary cap woes will come home to roost, and many have hinted this offseason that Jalen Hurts cannot faithfully operate a pass-happy offense. There’s something just not right about the Eagles.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys are hungry to reach the playoffs again, Jayden Daniel is back and healthy in the nation’s capital, and the New York Giants hired John Harbaugh.
Houston Texans defensive end Jonathan Greenard (52) settles into his stance before the snap on Oct. 24, 2021, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale during a game against the Arizona Cardinals. The edge rusher prepared to attack the pocket while anchoring Houston’s defensive front. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
The Eagles will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2020. It’s time.
Pittsburgh Steelers
It would just feel poetic if the Steelers suffered their first losing season in 20 years the moment Mike Tomlin left town. Aaron Rodgers is back, though, and he’ll distribute the ball among DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman, rookie Germie Bernard, along with running backs Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle.
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The Steelers’ defense will remain formidable, but the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens will finish in first and second place in the AFC North, leaving the Steelers around 7-10 or 8-9 in third place.
Then, of course, Rodgers will hold everyone hostage with his 2027 offseason decision-making process, even though he has already announced that this season is his last. You know the drill.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
Still, DeChambeau said he was confident about the state of his game as he arrived on Long Island. A few days later, DeChambeau was packing up early after shooting 70-75 (five over) to miss the cut by one shot.
DeChambeau didn’t speak with the assembled media after missing the weekend at Shinnecock. But a week later, the Crushers’ frontman and YouTube content king posted a 34-minute video to his channel where he walked through every shot of his two rounds at Shinnecock and explained why he has underperformed at majors this year.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for a little bit now,” DeChambeu said to start the video. “I think it’s important for you guys, especially given that I show myself off in different ways, whether it’s entertaining on YouTube or playing professional golf, I want to do my best in every single event, and the way I’ve played recently is not a true reflection. Unfortunately, I’ve been working incredibly hard, and sometimes it just doesn’t pan out, which kind of sucks, and that’s golf, that’s life.”
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Most of DeChambeau’s video is him explaining how the softness of the greens confused him, or the wind didn’t hit certain shots the way he wanted or how he misread certain putts. He said “one of his favorite moments” of the tournament was the first drive he hit with his new TaylorMade prototype driver on the 12th hole. DeChambeau’s drive on the par 4 hit the road that intersects the hole and landed 427 yards away. He went on to make birdie.
When DeChambeau reaches Shinnecock’s first hole (the tenth of his first round), he notes an issue he has been working to figure out. DeChambeau’s drive found the fairway, but his approach landed left of his desired target. The shot landed hole high, but was indicative of one thing DeChambeau has been fighting.
“That’s one of the things I have to figure out with my wedges,” DeChambeau said. “Sometimes they feel like it slips on the face and it’s probably a shaft to head weight combo. So, that’s what I’m working on to figure that out right now.”
DeChambeau played his first 17 holes in one under par and seemed to be set to enter the mix at another U.S. Open.
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But his issues started to rear their head on Friday. With the first round called due to darkness, DeChambeau had to come out early Friday to finish the final hole of his first round and then turn back around and play his second. While warming up on the range, his swing felt off. It was a problem he couldn’t solve — one he has been fighting for some time.
“Anyway, this is kind of where it gets weird,” DeChambeau said of Friday morning. “I get to the range on Friday, and all of a sudden, something feels a little off with my timing in regards to how I’m jumping off the ground to get the club to come out. You know, those little right misses that I was talking about became more pronounced. I couldn’t feel like the club was naturally turning over effortlessly. And yeah, it showed on nine and I missed it horribly right. Felt late.”
DeChambeau’s drive on the final hole of his first round flared right and landed in the fescue. He eventually made a 26-foot putt for bogey to finish the first round at even par.
“I’m just in a weird spot,” DeChambeau said after his first round. “So, I had a little frustrating moment after that. But then, I gather myself and I come out and I still can’t figure it out. I still don’t know what’s going on with my golf swing. It feels a little funky. It’s just not turning over like it was the day before.”
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DeChambeau’s tournament quickly came unraveled at the start of his second round. He opened with pars at one and two and then made back-to-back double bogeys to fall to five over for the tournament.
“That was my tournament,” DeChambeau said. “That literally was the tournament. If I finish at one over, right from all that, if I finish at one over, I’m what am I seven back? Something like that. You know, there’s plenty of people that were one over going in and [finished] top 10 or played well on the weekend. You just can’t do that. It was really unfortunate the way that whole situation happened. I didn’t feel like I played that bad for that to happen, but you can’t do that at majors. You can’t make two doubles in a row. You can’t just do that.”
DeChambeau further discussed his swing issues, the same ones he appeared to be fighting on the range at the PGA Championship at Aronimink, when he hit a smother hook off the ninth tee.
“Slap cut,” DeChambeau said. “I couldn’t time my golf swing for some reason and it wasn’t unloading. The club head wasn’t coming out from the top. Felt like it was being dragged like radially and just could never get the club head out.”
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The video ends with DeChambeau being asked a few questions from off-screen, the same questions he would’ve faced from the media had he taken the few minutes to stop and answer.
“Not good enough golf,” DeChambeau said about his three major missed cuts. “We could say it’s unlucky. We could say, bad judgment. We could say bad swings and all that. But ultimately it comes down to me making better decisions, having a couple things go more my way, and me being more comfortable over the golf ball and not holding it off and knowing why I’m I have that miss, knowing why I’m missing it, and then working on speed with my putting, working on my wedges, getting a better combo so that it’s not as erratic. So even though I wasn’t hitting it my best off the tee — I was still number one and driving off the tee, which is crazy. My iron play is just something I got to work on, man. I got to get it better.”
Unlike Jon Rahm, DeChambeau has been playing a pivotal role in securing outside investment for LIV Golf. Asked if his focus on YouTube and the future of LIV was impacting his play in the majors, DeChambeau dismissed that idea, saying that he just hasn’t felt as good as he used to over the ball and that he and his team are trying to recreate the feeling he had when he shot 58 at LIV Greenbrier in 2023 while noting that it wasn’t long ago he was one of the best major performers on the planet. Things change quickly in professional golf.
“Everybody’s going to have their opinion on it,” DeChambeau said. “But I can tell you I’ve been working harder on my game this past year after the Masters than I have in the past three, four years. The amount of effort I’ve put into understanding my golf swing and what makes that thing come out — what makes the golf club come out more effectively and more efficiently is mindboggling. But I haven’t figured it out. I’ve been working with a great team. We just haven’t cracked the code on why I did what I did at Greenbrier.
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“Put one foot in front of the other and keep going,” DeChambeau said to end the video. “There’s not much more I can do than that. Just last year, before the U.S. Open, I was one of the best major championship performers in the world. Come one year later, everybody says I’m the worst. It just is what it is. It’s life, it’s golf. Things don’t always go your way. But guess what? Keep going.”
With LIV Golf on a break, DeChambeau’s next chance to “keep going” will come at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, where he will look to try not to miss all four major cuts in 2026.
The tallest player in OHL history has an NHL home.
The San Jose Sharks snapped up seven-foot-one, 280-pound defenceman Alexander Karmanov in the seventh round (201st overall) of the NHL Draft on Saturday.
Karmanov, a native of Moldova, signed with the North Bay Battalion in late November after being picked by the Brantford Bulldogs in the CHL Import Draft last summer.
Karmanov had no goals, two assists and 29 penalty minutes in 20 games for the Battalion.
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Previously, he had three goals, four assists and 68 penalty minutes in 15 games with the Bulldogs’ top affiliate in the Greater Ontario Hockey League.
Karmanov has made a commitment to play NCAA hockey at Penn State University starting in 2027-28.
Karmanov played with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights under-16 team last season in Pennsylvania. He played in Russia and Belarus in 2023-24.
New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe and Hockey Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara, both six-foot-nine, are the tallest players in NHL history.
Jun 9, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Jesus Sanchez (12) hits a solo home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Toronto Blue Jays placed outfielder Jesus Sanchez on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a right ankle sprain.
The team also called up infield prospect Sean Keys and outfielder Yohendrick Pinango from Triple-A Buffalo and optioned outfielder Davis Schneider to Buffalo.
Sanchez left Friday’s 5-4 loss to the visiting Texas Rangers after rolling his ankle while making a catch in the top of the seventh inning. Initial X-rays were negative.
Sanchez, 28, is batting .274 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs in 73 games in his first season with the Blue Jays, who acquired him in a Feb. 13 trade that sent outfielder Joey Loperfido to the Houston Astros.
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Keys, 23, was in the starting lineup for his major league debut Saturday against the Rangers, playing first base and batting sixth.
Keys is ranked as the No. 14 prospect in the Toronto system by MLB Pipeline. The 2024 fourth-round draft pick out of Bucknell is batting .284 with 21 homers and 54 RBIs in 67 games this season between Buffalo and Double-A New Hampshire.
Pinango, 24, made his MLB debut on April 26 and is batting .283 with four homers and 18 RBIs in 43 games with the Blue Jays this season.
Schneider, 27, is batting .153 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 49 games with Toronto this season.
Malachy O’Rourke opted for a tactical switch at the start of the second half and handed Niall Devlin the responsibility of tailing David Clifford.
The All-Ireland champions outscored Tyrone 0-5 to 0-2 across the opening 10 minutes of the half, Dylan Geaney and David Clifford (free) firing over from two-point range to extend their lead to five.
Darren McCurry was sprung from the bench in response, and immediately got into the action by nailing a difficult two-point free.
The Ulster side had a chance to level from the next attack, Donnelly feeding McElholm through, but his angle was quickly narrowed as Shane Murphy made a brave stop.
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Kerry almost killed off the Tyrone charge on 50 minutes. Sean O’Shea, just on to the field, squared the ball to Dylan Geaney on the edge of the area, and with the goal gaping, his pass was over-hit.
The warning shot seemed to fire-up the men in white and red, as they hit the next three points, McElholm and McCurry shooting over, before McElholm put one between the sides blazing over via the crossbar with many waiting for the net to bulge.
Dylan Geaney was in inspired form and kicked the next three scores, including his second two-pointer.
Not to be outdone, McCurry landed his second two-pointer from a free, as Kerry were punished for failing to keep three players in attack. When Donnelly followed up with his third of the day, there was just one point between the sides with 15 minutes left.
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McCurry and David Clifford started to have their own personal battle on the scoreboard with little to separate the sides, before Paudie Clifford landed a 45′ after a disputed effort which the Tyrone players felt went wide, only for the umpire to award the 45′.
Super-sub McCurry kicked his eighth and ninth points to leave one in it with three to play.
Paudie Clifford and McCurry traded efforts heading into the final play of the match, Kerry winning their own kick-out as Armin Heinrich finished to the net on the hooter as Tyrone desperately tried to win the ball back at the death.
Who will England play after the group stages? World Cup knockout fixtures explained – Manchester Evening News
Need to know
England have qualified for the World Cup knockout stages
(Image: Jess Stiles/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
England World Cup knockout fixtures explained
If they finish 1st: Topping Group L means the Three Lions will travel to Atlanta for their round of 32 clash. Their opponents will be one of the top third-placed sides emerging from Groups E, H, I, J, or K. As the standings look right now, this sets up a fixture against Senegal on Wednesday, July 1 at 5pm (BST).
If they finish 2nd: A second-place finish in the group stages sends England north of the border to Toronto for their opening knockout match. They would lock horns with the runners-up from Group K, a spot currently occupied by Portugal. This crucial encounter is scheduled for Friday, July 3 at 12am (BST).
If they finish 3rd: Falling to third place would require England to qualify as one of the tournament’s eight strongest third-placed teams, punching their ticket to Kansas City. Should they advance via this route, they are slated to meet the top team from Group K, with Colombia currently leading that race.
Current standings: As of today, June 27, 2026, England leads Group L with four points, a tally kicked off by an exciting 4-2 win against Croatia. A subsequent, hard-fought 0-0 draw with Ghana keeps them level on points at the top, though they lead the group courtesy of a superior goal difference.
The final group match: The group stage wraps up today in New York-New Jersey, where England squares off against a Panama team that has already been eliminated. Walking away with three points from this match ensures the Three Lions win the group and lock in a more favourable route forward.
Tournament expectations: England arrived at this tournament under an immense spotlight as they chase their first World Cup trophy since 1966. This heavy expectation follows a spectacular run under manager Thomas Tuchel, refuelling dreams among the fans that football might truly return home.
Former Liverpool standout and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah left Friday night’s 1-1 draw with Iran at the World Cup because of a left knee injury, coach Hossam Hassan said.
In the 57th minute, Salah was surprisingly replaced by Mostafa Zico. In comments translated from Arabic, Hassan said Salah is being assessed by the team’s medical staff, and will have another examination when Egypt returns to the team hotel.
“I talked to Salah and he said he’s going to be OK and it’s not a big injury,” Hassan said. “We still have time to talk to the medical staff. I think he will be back, and when I spoke to Salah he assured me he’s going to be OK.”
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Ahead of the tournament, Hassan expressed a quiet confidence in the roster around Salah. Egypt made good on Hassan’s goal of the team advancing past the group stage for the first time in the expanded field.
It would still be a serious blow for Egypt if Salah is not able to play in the knockout round against Australia next Friday.
The four-time Premier League Golden Boot winner scored his 68th international goal in the Pharaohs’ first World Cup win, a 3-1 victory against New Zealand. The 34-year-old has assisted on two other goals in the tournament.
“He can brag to me all he wants. I’m just so happy to be with him. I know he won’t brag, but if he wanted to, he could,” Ruck said. “To be with him, it’s so special.”
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The twins are from Osoyoos, British Columbia, and spent the past two-plus seasons as one of the Western Hockey League’s most productive tandems in Medicine Hat. Marcus led the WHL with 108 points last season, while Liam, a right wing, finished second with 104 points.
Liam was projected to go first, and when the Penguins chose him, Markus began looking ahead to No. 39, Pittsburgh’s next turn to pick.
“I didn’t have a preference of when, I just knew where I wanted to go and who I wanted be with,” he said, noting his brother kept his spirits up overnight. “He kept me calm and told me it was going to happen. So for it to happen it’s awesome.”
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The Ruck’s reunion was part of a family theme in a draft that had Caleb Malhotra going third to Vancouver, where his dad was just hired as the Canucks head coach.
The Calgary Flames opened the third round by selecting WHL Vancouver forward Joe Iginla. He’s the youngest son of Hall of Famer and longtime Flames star Jarome Iginla, and his selection came after older brother Tij went No. 6 to Utah in the 2024 draft.
Rogowski picks hockey over baseball
Whatever doubts Brooks Rogowski had in choosing hockey over baseball quickly evaporated following the first pick in the second round of the NHL draft.
The 18-year-old from Livonia, Michigan, had taken his seat with his family on the draft floor, when NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly announced Rogowski had been selected at No. 33 by the Vancouver Canucks.
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“You sit down for five minutes and you’re standing back up. So that was nice not having to sit a while,” Rogowski said. “But the relief was immediate. You hear your name called and all the stresses just kind of fall off you. It’s great, it’s been awesome.”
And the selection validates the choice the 6-foot-7, 235-pound Rogowski made two years ago. In picking hockey, after being drafted by the OHL Oshawa Generals, he put baseball behind him — and to the regret of his father and uncle, who both enjoyed minor-league baseball careers.
His father, Casey, was drafted by the Chicago White Sox and his uncle, Ryan, drafted by the Dodgers.
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“Obviously they’re still sad about baseball, but I think this was the right decision,” Rogowski said. “You know, get to wear a nice jersey, so I think that they’re more than happy with that.”
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Rogowski has made a commitment to play at Michigan State in two years, and appreciates he still has plenty of room to develop after focusing more on baseball than hockey growing up.
“I have a lot more to improve,” he said. “You have a lot of these guys who have been doing this for a long time. I’m still relatively new to it, and I think there’s a lot more to me that needs to come out.”
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His trajectory is pointing up. As a rookie, Rogowski had 11 goals and 23 points in 66 games with Oshawa, and built on that with 42 points (15 goals) in 46 games last season.
Not bad for the former first baseman.
“Exactly. It’s very different,” Rogowski said comparing the two sports. “I have always been a decent hockey player, but I think the rapid growth, I can attribute to athletic ability.”
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A day after pop icon Justin Bieber took the stage to announce the Toronto Maple Leafs taking Penn State forward Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 pick, there were several notable highlights over the final six rounds on Saturday.
The second round featured just 31 selections with the Vegas Golden Knights forfeiting their 63rd pick after being sanctioned by the league for violating media regulations. Former Vegas coach John Tortorella was also fined $100,000 for refusing to speak to reporters following a second-round-series-clinching Game 6 victory at Anaheim.
Another notable selection came at No. 40, when the Florida Panthers used their first pick of the draft on right winger Simas Ignatavicius. Though born in Memphis, he relocated with his family to their native Lithuania, a nation that by his count has four hockey rinks.
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Though his father played basketball, Ignatavicius was drawn to hockey at age 3 while watching a practice at a rink inside a shopping mall. Six years ago, the 18-year-old moved to Switzerland to develop his skills.
England can wrap up the Group L title at the 2026 World Cup when they close out group play against an already-eliminated Panama side on Saturday. England need just a point to guarantee their spot in the Round of 32 and a win to secure top spot outright. Thomas Tuchel’s side sits tied atop Group L with Ghana on four points apiece, while Croatia trail by a point. England rolled to a 4-2 win over Croatia before playing to a scoreless draw with Ghana. Panama have dropped back-to-back 1-0 decisions to Ghana and Croatia.
Kickoff for Panama vs. England is 5 p.m. ET in East Rutherford, N.J. The latest England vs. Panama odds from FanDuel Sportsbook list England at -700 (risk $700 to win 100) on the money line, with Panama at +1700 and a draw at +750. The over/under for total goals is 3.5, with the Under favored at -118. Before locking in any Panama vs. England picks or World Cup 2026 predictions, check out the Panama vs. England predictions from SportsLine’s Martin Green.
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Last year, Green was profitable in multiple areas on his soccer betting picks, including the Champions League (+211.25) and Bundesliga (+100). He’s also been red-hot in 2026, posting an 18-8 record over his last 26 UCL picks, returning nearly $1,000 in profit. Additionally, he enters Saturday on a 9-5 roll on World Cup picks (+382). Anyone wanting to follow his World Cup betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could see big returns.
After examining Panama vs. England from every angle, Green is leaning Over 3.5 total goals (-104). England began their group stage campaign with an impressive 4-2 win against Croatia last week. Captain Harry Kane scored twice in the first half, and goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford sealed the win.
The English can be powerful and still need a big win against Panama to guarantee first place, so they will be motivated to put a big number on the board. Panama have struggled in attack, but have no pressure in this matchup, freeing them up to possibly find the net as well. See Green’s best bets for Panama vs. England at SportsLine, and you can bet the Over in Panama vs. England at FanDuel here:
After leading Michigan to its second title, Yaxel Lendeborg is eager to get to work with the Golden State Warriors as the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft.
Lendeborg was a consensus first-team All-American last season, averaging 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals while shooting 37.2% from 3-point range. He was also the Big Ten Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection.
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The 6-foot-9 forward is set to join a veteran team, headlined by Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, among others. He is striving to help the group win at any cost by impacting games on both ends of the court, particularly on defense.
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“I want to just try to develop something that I can be known for, like an identity for myself,” Lendeborg said on Friday. “I want to try to go in there and be able one of the primary defenders, see if I can gain some trust for them to put me on the best player on the other team or anything like that. Just being able to do all the little things on the court to help out.”
Lendeborg was highly touted entering the draft this year for his scoring, rebounding and ability to defend multiple positions. The team was also captivated by his championship pedigree, along with his unselfishness, versatility and vast skill set.
The 23-year-old knows that he faces an uphill battle of sorts as a rookie who must earn his playing time in coach Steve Kerr’s rotation. However, with several positions still to be filled, Lendeborg is ready to compete for his place on the court.
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Lendeborg will begin that quest in summer league, starting with the California Classic on July 3. It will be his first opportunity to impress Kerr and the rest of the team.
“The impression that I want to leave on (Kerr) is just someone who is willing to learn, someone who is going to value all his core values and player values,” Lendeborg said. “Just do the best I can to get on his good side as quick as possible to see if I can get some extra playing time from it. I’m just very excited to be coached by someone like him, who is a genuine guy who seems like a person who cares more about you as a person, rather than a basketball player.”
Uruguay’s FIFA World Cup campaign came to a painful end after another costly mistake by veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera contributed to a 1-0 defeat against Spain in their final Group H match.
The two-time world champions needed a positive result to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive, but Alex Baena’s first-half goal secured victory for Spain and sent Uruguay crashing out of the tournament.
Muslera’s costly mistake proves decisive
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Uruguay had started brightly and looked the better side for long periods of the first half. However, their hopes suffered a major blow in the 42nd minute when Baena’s low shot slipped through Muslera’s hands despite the goalkeeper getting both hands to the ball.
It was the third error leading to a goal by the 40-year-old goalkeeper in this World Cup, making him the first goalkeeper since records began in 1966 to commit three such mistakes in a single tournament.
Recognising the seriousness of the situation, Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa made the difficult decision to substitute the national team legend at half-time, replacing him with Sergio Rochet.
Uruguay failed to recover
Despite the change in goal, Uruguay struggled to respond in the second half. Former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez missed two good opportunities, while the South Americans managed just one shot on target throughout the match.
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Although Uruguay pushed forward in the closing stages, they were unable to seriously trouble Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon.
Their frustrations worsened in stoppage time when midfielder Agustin Canobbio was shown a red card for a dangerous challenge.
A disappointing tournament for Uruguay
Uruguay’s elimination marks their second consecutive World Cup group-stage exit, having collected just two points from three matches.
Marcelo Bielsa’s team never truly looked like the high-intensity side many expected. While they showed brief periods of aggressive pressing, they lacked creativity and cutting edge in attack.
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The decision to bring Muslera back from international retirement earlier this year ultimately proved costly, with the veteran goalkeeper’s errors becoming one of the defining stories of Uruguay’s disappointing campaign.
Spain progress despite not hitting top gear
For Spain, the victory secured top spot in Group H and extended their unbeaten defensive record, as they became the first Spanish team not to concede a goal during a World Cup group stage.
Although they did not produce their best attacking display, Luis de la Fuente’s side showed they can grind out results when needed.
As Uruguay head home disappointed, Spain move into the knockout stage knowing tougher challenges still lie ahead.
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