Mr. Met blissfully danced the night away behind TV reporter Steve Gelbs on Friday night as he delivered a live report on the New York Mets firing manager Carlos Mendoza. It was the best-ever, worst-possible timing.

Congratulations, everybody. We’ve reached Peak Mets.

It is worth asking where Mrs. Met was while this was happening. Unlike her husband, she knows how to read a room. This was complete organizational failure.

The moment’s humor might have been lost on fans feeling too miserable to laugh, but Dancing Mr. Met will forever be the image of the team’s 2026 season, and it could serve as the image of the franchise in perpetuity until things improve. Assuming they do.

The bulbous-headed mascot resembled a modern-day Nero playing the fiddle, so goes the dubious legend, as ancient Rome burned down. Not entirely true, by the way! They didn’t even have fiddles 2,000 years ago.

A few errant details notwithstanding, the Mets last-place season is also burnt to a crisp. Nobody in Major League Baseball spends more on player salaries, and nobody gets less bang for the buck. And that buck stops not with Mr. Met, but with owner Steve Cohen and team president David Stearns. Nero gets a bad rap for the fire and his response to it, but he still was the man in charge. This is mostly on Cohen and Stearns.

Some have complained that upper management should have fired Mendoza in April, when the Philadelphia Phillies fired Rob Thomson after a similarly poor start. Philly is about 20 games over .500 since replacing Thomson with Don Mattingly. On its way somewhere. But, aside from Juan Soto and a small handful of others, the Phillies have much better players than the Mets. It’s difficult to imagine, much less show evidence, that any manager could have saved New York’s season.

Some parties want Cohen to replace Stearns less than three years into his tenure, to the point that a number of critics have come to Citi Field with signs promoting a change. But, like other teams do, if the Mets see a sign or behavior they find to be derogatory, they’ll quash it. It’s within their right, and it’s even understandable, but it also makes the team look like it’s more concerned with suppressing dissent than fixing the problems that caused it.

What’s next? No booing allowed? Probably better to ignore the signs that fans make and pay closer attention to the signs that Bo Bichette might not have been worth that contract, or that Brett Baty and Mark Vientos weren’t developing, or that the pitching staff was woefully short of being competitive for a playoff spot.

The Mets just reached the postseason two years ago, and came within two wins of reaching the World Series in ‘24, before ripping up most of the roster. Cohen talks like he wants to win and spends money like it. Stearns has a strong individual record as an executive, assisting the Astros to build a champion, and putting the Brewers in position to be one of the best teams in the National League. His record with the Mets is mixed. Is he going to come through? This much is certain: The time for fiddling around is over.

Trainer Greg Eurell might have a smart two-year-old on his hands in the form of Lucky Brook, who opened the card at Caulfield on Saturday with a victory in the Sportsbet Race Previews Handicap (1000m).

A debutant by Lucky Vega, the filly had impressed in four jump-outs and carried that winning form onto the race track, running out a one-length winner under jockey Lachlan Neindorf.

Neindorf was pleased with Lucky Brook’s performance. The $4.20 favourite, according to leading Aussie betting sites, was kept out of traffic from a wide gate, scoring comfortably over Egyptian Dancer ($16). Aston ($7) finished a short neck back in third.

Eurell indicated that there are plenty of options for Lucky Brook in the early part of the Spring, with the Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m) for early three-year-olds a key target.

“The plan was always to try and win a race and then sort of set her up for the spring, and there wasn’t much to offer, so to win a city race was even better,” Eurell said.

“It gives us a chance to give her a bit of a let up, map something out going forward. It certainly gives us a lot of confidence going forward.”

“The spring can sort of stretch out a little bit now, so you’ve sort of got to be a little bit careful— sort of where you start and where you think you want to end up but she may be back here (for the Quezette).”

“I think she’ll cut the mustard. I think she’s very genuine, she’s obviously above average.”

The Quezette Stakes is scheduled for August 15 at Caulfield and has been won by subsequent Group 1-winning sprinters Charm Stone, Bella Nipotina and Sunlight in recent years.

While those heights are a way off for Lucky Brook, Eurell believes she has the attributes to keep raising the bar, and possibly extend in distance as she matures.

“I like her attitude, everything we’ve done with her. She’s just so professional. I think she’s going to be a lovely filly going forward,” Eurell said.

“Once we sort of get a bit deeper into the prep, she’ll suggest what she’s going to do.”

“But she does relax and travel. She might give herself that opportunity to sort of stretch out to a mile, however, at the moment, if she does what she does over the shorter trips we’ll be happy.”

With aspirations for the spring, punters might find it beneficial to explore the racing betting markets for upcoming feature races.

The 2026 World Cup knockout rounds are here, and co-host Canada gets the honor of kicking things off on Sunday against South Africa, with both advancing out of the group stage for the first time. Bafana Bafana stunned Korea Republic with a 1-0 victory in the final Group A match on Wednesday night, while Canada dropped a 2-1 decision to Switzerland to fall short of winning Group B. The Canadians won’t have the home-field advantage this time, with the match being held in Inglewood, Calif., with a 3 p.m. ET kickoff.

The World Cup 2026 knockout stage’s arrival means fewer matches to choose from, but if you do your homework you can still cash in on anytime goalscorer props. If you’re interested in soccer betting, you can find value in the anytime goal scorer odds, and we’ve scrutinized the options in the World Cup 2026 odds at FanDuel and now offer up our favorite picks.

If you want to see more World Cup picks, including outright winners, spread picks and totals, be sure to check out the picks from SportsLine experts like Jon Eimer, Martin Green and Brad Thomas. Anyone following their World Cup betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

Best World Cup goalscorer picks for Sunday

• Jonathan David, Canada (+170, FanDuel)
• Tajon Buchanan, Canada (+300, FanDuel)
• Evidence Makgopa, South Africa (+170, FanDuel)
• Thapelo Maseko, South Africa (+650, FanDuel)

Jonathan David, Canada (+170)

The best players step up in the biggest moments, and David has been in solid form in this tournament. He had a hat trick in the 6-0 victory against Qatar, when he had eight shots. He has five shots over the other two matches, but he is Canada’s top all-time scorer, and he will try to put this team on his back in the knockout rounds. Canada have other strong players like Cyle Larin and Alphonso Davies, but the team’s success typically runs through David. I expect him to bury one in the net Sunday.  

Tajon Buchanan, Canada (+330)

The 27-year-old Villarreal man has been making things happen, even if it hasn’t been obvious on the scoresheets so far. He has eight goals in 63 matches with the national team and had seven last season in La Liga. He isn’t a scorer like David or Larin but makes the most of his chances. Buchanan has the speed to get behind defenders and is skilled around the box. His two-way play takes away from his offense some, but he can score when he has the opportunity. I think he’ll get a chance Sunday.      

Evidence Makgopa, South Africa (+170)

Makgopa has three shots on target over the past two matches, coming off the bench against Czechia but starting Wednesday’s huge victory against South Korea. He has nine goals in 26 matches with Bafana Bafana and 16 in 67 games with Orlando Pirates in the South African Premiership. Most of his teammates play in that league, including seven with the Pirates, so they know how to find each other in open spaces. Makgopa is a strong aerial presence and could bury one on a set piece Sunday.   

Thapelo Maseko, South Africa (+650)

The 22-year-old scored the defining goal so far for the South Africans in Wednesday night’s victory, and that should give him confidence. He hasn’t been intimidated on this big stage, and while he has just two goals for the Bafana Bafana, he is just getting started. Maseko had five shots against South Korea. The youngster, who plays at AEL Limassol in Cyprus, has speed, versatility and youthful energy that have helped spark this club, and he could break through again in this huge match.    

Austria coach Ralf Rangnick scoffed at suggestions his side had played for a mutually beneficial draw against Algeria after Saturday’s chaotic 3-3 World Cup thriller.

The dramatic finale that sent both teams through to the knockout stage, he ​said, was proof ‌there had been no collusion.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Algeria and Austria advance after dramatic draw, knock Iran out of group stage

With a draw enough to send Austria through as Group J ⁠runners-up and Algeria into the last 32 as one of the best third-placed sides, the prospect of a convenient result had dominated conversation in the build-up.

But Rangnick said the ‌game’s extraordinary finale should silence any conspiracy theories.

“In this match, when you have a 3-3, nobody can ⁠assume that it was an agreement, and especially what we saw during the last 90 seconds,” the 67-year-old said.

The match exploded into life deep into added time.

Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez put his side 3-2 ahead ​in the 93rd minute, only for substitute Sasa Kalajdzic to equalise with virtually the last touch ‌of the game.

“Three minutes to play, if somebody had said this would happen, you would have told them they were mad,” Rangnick said.

“I’ve been a coach for about 40 years and I don’t even remember a match that had such a dramatic course and such ‌an unexpected trajectory.

“Most anticipated 0-0 or 1-1, and now it’s 3-3. It’s incredible. The locker room is madness. If Alfred Hitchcock had written such a drama, I probably would have ​said he was completely mad.”

Watch moreWorld Cup ‘Pride Match’: FIFA refuses to ban rainbow flags despite Iran, Egypt objections

The German rejected suggestions that either side had been content to settle for a draw late in the game, noting that players continued to push for a winner before Mahrez’s strike.

“All who watched the game during ​the last 15 minutes must know there is no hint that the players absolutely wanted to have a draw,” he ​said. “I think they wanted to win.

“Nobody can tell me that suddenly in minute 93 ​somebody would plan: ‘oh yes, let’s score another goal.’ I think maybe it was the thought of one or two players in Algeria, but I think in the rest of ​the squad I don’t think it was the case, and not for me.”

Austria now face European champions Spain in the round of 32 on July 2 in California.

Rangnick said he believes anything is possible.

“You saw that during the last couple of seconds (on Saturday). And who would have thought that Turkey would be eliminated after only two matches?

“So we’re very happy that we are in the ⁠most difficult of all groups, and we advance in second in this group, and that was definitely not easy.”

Rangnick said he was still struggling to ⁠process a result that ​booked his team’s first World Cup knockout appearance in 44 years.

“I am relieved and incredulous and happy,” he said. “I still can’t believe it. I need to be pinched to wake up from a dream.”

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters) 

In Sand Raiders of Sophie, the Tech Tree Nodes serve as the primary means to customize your walker. However, as is the nature of games with giant skill trees, picking the right Tech Tree Node and skills for your walker can be a daunting process, especially for new players. It’s very important to choose the right Nodes before you invest your hard-earned resources in Sand Raiders of Sophie.

In Sand Raiders of Sophie, there are a total of 11 Tech Tree Nodes. However, as you progress through the game, you will slowly unlock perks from all these Nodes without having to focus on a single Tech Tree.

That said, in the early game, you do need to be mindful of which Nodes you invest your resoruces into in the early game. To help with that, here’s a comprehensive guide on the 7 best early game Tech Tree Nodes in Sand Raiders of Sophie.

Also Read: Best survival tips for Sand Raiders of Sophie

Sand Raiders of Sophie: Best early game Tech Tree Nodes

As you progress through Raiders of Sophie, you will unlock all 11 Tech Trees. Furthermore, you can also choose to invest resources into multiple Tech Trees at once without any penalty. However, we do recommend making smart choices when it comes to investing resources.

In the opening few hours, you will find Tech Trees like Captain’s Cabin, Cargo Hold, and Cargo Bay to be a far better option than others.

Furthermore, some of the Tech Tree Nodes don’t even have any gameplay-related perks to them. Instead, they offer more customization options for your walker and make moving around the ship a bit easier.

With that said, here are the 7 best early game Tech Tree Nodes in Raiders of Sophie that you should not miss out on:

• Motor Reactor / Engine Upgrades: The Reactor is essentially the beating heart of your walker. As such, upgrading it at the earliest should be the priority. It increases your walker’s base HP.
• Crew Room: This upgrade is mandatory to unlock the Captain’s Cabin, which bolsters your walker’s defense.
• Captain’s Cabin: This upgrade adds an extra layer of defense on your walker, making it more resistant to damage.
• Cargo Holds and Cargo Bays: These upgrades increase the base HP of your walker and also add armor to the reactor.
• Chassis Upgrades: The Chasis upgrades essentially increase the weight capacity of your walker. As such, you get to carry more artillery and compartments for increased protection and firepower.
• Framed Artillery Deck: These upgrades increase the health of your walker’s weapons.
• Improved Reactor: This is a mid-game upgrade that further increases the HP of your walker’s reactor.

Do note that these Tech Tree upgrades are recommended for early game sections in Raiders of Sophie. However, as you progress through the game, we recommend working your way through every Tech Tree, as some of the late-game Nodes can offer substantial upgrades to your walkers.