Juan Gomez de Liaño (right): There’s nothing better than playing for the national team. —FIBA.COM PHOTO

Juan Gomez de Liaño had his coming-out party of sorts for Gilas Pilipinas during the previous window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers when he played a pivotal part in the near-victory on the road against New Zealand.

And expectations are that Gomez de Liaño could carry that into the upcoming home games against Jordan and Iran as back-to-the-wall Gilas needs to open the second round of qualification with a sweep of the fourth window.

Is a bigger role due for the Converge rookie?

“I don’t think so, honestly,” Gomez de Liaño said. “I’m just going to come in with the same approach.”

Last July saw Gomez de Liaño put up the best game of his Gilas tenure under coach Tim Cone. Against New Zealand in chilly Auckland, Gomez de Liaño forced overtime with a gutsy triple late in regulation and almost got Gilas the win in the first period of the extension with another triple.

Gilas wound up losing in double overtime, 106-102, as Gomez de Liaño finished with 23 points in just 21 minutes as he stepped up in a big way.

And with Gilas to miss Japan B.League regulars for the next window, the time is right for JDL to again assert himself.

Cone is likely to bank on the southpaw guard to deliver the needed scoring punch in the window as Gilas needs to beat Jordan on Aug. 28 and Iran on Aug. 30 at the Mall of Asia Arena to stay within distance of the top four in Group F.

A loss may jeopardize Gilas’ hopes of a fourth consecutive World Cup berth. Gomez de Liaño is relishing the opportunity to meet the challenge head-on.

“I’m given the opportunity to step on the floor no matter how many minutes,” he said. “I’m just going to try my best to play my game and do what I can do.”

“There’s [nothing] better than playing for the national team,” he went on. “It’s always been a dream of mine and I’m definitely excited for these two games.”

Gilas is entering the midway point of its buildup for the window as it aims to improve on a 2-4 record entering the home-and-away games with not only Jordan and Iran, but also Syria.

Iran sits second in the group with a 5-1 record, trailing only Australia, which is on top of the pack carrying a perfect 6-0 slate.

Jordan likewise holds a 5-1 card for third while New Zealand is at fourth at 3-3.

Like Gilas, Syria has a 2-4 record and will not face the Philippines until the fifth window in November. INQ

Race cars roared across Washington city streets in the shadow of iconic landmarks on Saturday as the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, created by President Donald Trump, began with practice and qualifying for Sunday’s first-of-its-kind event.

IndyCar drivers tested open-wheel vehicles at speeds up to 185 mph (298 km/h) over the bumps and curves of a seven-turn, 1.7-mile course winding around the Washington Monument, US Capitol, National Gallery of Art and Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum — all along the National Mall.

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“This is surreal for all of us drivers,” said American Kyle Kirkwood, second in practice with a lap at 56.691 seconds. “The history, going around the museums, the monument, the Capitol building — everything about this is something you dream about.

“Thirty years from now we’re going to look back and realize that was one of the coolest races we’ve ever done.”

Spain’s Alex Palou, the season points leader who has won six times this year, captured his seventh pole position of the campaign with a qualifying lap of 56.899 seconds after topping practice laps at 56.614.

“Such a privilege to be racing here. Spectacular place,” said Palou, who made a White House visit earlier this week. “To see the buildings we have around, the Capitol when you exit turn seven, it’s just incredible.”

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Results, however, took a back seat to the epic backdrop for Sunday’s race, which Trump created by executive order as part of celebrations for the 250th birthday of the United States.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Bud Denker, Freedom 250 chairman and president of IndyCar owner Penske Corporation.

“The president and Cabinet members, they really made it happen,” Denker said, citing work done in seven months that usually takes two years to complete.

Organizers expect up to 100,000 people to attend the race, Trump among them.

A field of 25 will compete Sunday over 147 laps for 250 miles, the second-longest street-course race in IndyCar history after 310-mile events in 1982 and 1983 at Cleveland.

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“I can’t think of a cooler setting when you’re looking at the Capitol in the background,” said Zak Brown, chief executive officer of McLaren Racing. “I’m already hoping there’s a year two.”

Pavement bumps on Pennsylvania Avenue just beyond the first turn, after a start-finish line at the US Capitol, and more bumps before turns two and six, where several cars clipped the padded concrete outer wall, taught valuable lessons.

“It’s good to be racing here,” France’s Romain Grosjean said. “There’s definitely a few more bumps, a bit less corners, but generally there are some really good flowing sections.”

Precise handling to cope with the bumps will be vital, Mexico’s Pato O’Ward said.

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“There are certain ones that are right where maybe the car doesn’t love it all the time. That’s a little bit of probably what we’re going to be working around,” O’Ward said.

“You need to be quite aware of where to place the car. It’s about getting all the small details right. I expect it to be a tough race.”

– ‘Spice things up’ –

Palou said he would attack Sunday with intensity usually reserved for the Indianapolis 500 as he chases a fourth consecutive IndyCar season crown and fifth in six years.

“The race is going to be tough — 250 miles, a long day. It’s going to be rough,” Palou said.

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“Huge bumps heading into turn two and turn six, massive bumps that are going to spice things up.

“The bumps are so big, there’s not much you can do. You need to have a car that’s alright over bumps, that’s not trying to kill you every time.

“Once it’s manageable, you just need to go over them and try and make the car as fast as possible.”

js/acb

A former world champion has reflected on the timing of his showdown with Shakur Stevenson, believing that he should have fought the slick southpaw in 2023.

Stevenson is widely regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and that was evident back in January when he defeated Teofimo Lopez.

Back then, ‘The Takeover’ was coming off arguably a career-best performance against Josh Taylor, who he dethroned with a unanimous decision victory for the WBO super-lightweight title.

Lopez then made two lacklustre defences against Jamaine Ortiz and Steve Claggett, before producing a far more dynamic display while unanimously outpointing Arnold Barboza Jr.

Based on that, many expected the American to at least win a few rounds against Stevenson, who ultimately dominated their 12-round encounter in January.

Since then, the two-weight world champion has criticised his father and trainer, Lopez Sr, who was berated for his bizarre corner work earlier this year.

But while he was unhappy with the tactics, Lopez has also told Ariel Helwani that he would have stood a better chance at defeating Stevenson two years ago.

“I’d say what went wrong [was] the gameplan. [Stevenson’s] a class act – a defensive fighter, at that – and I think the whole [problem] was the miscommunication, and possibly just taking a fight with Shakur at [that] particular time.

“Maybe earlier on – after the Taylor [victory] and those types of fights – would have been best.”

While disappointed with his last result, Lopez must now focus on becoming a three-weight world champion against Rolando Romero.

The pair will square off at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena this evening, with ‘Rolly’ making a first defence of his WBA title.

He claimed the WBA ‘regular’ strap in May 2025, dropping and unanimously outpointing Ryan Garcia, and has since been upgraded to full welterweight champion.

Vikings Preseason Update
3 Up | 3 Down After the Ravens Game

The Minnesota Vikings hosted the Baltimore Ravens for the second preseason game on each team’s schedule. Doing so followed a pair of feisty joint practices at TCO Performance Center.

At the end, the final score showed Baltimore sitting on 13 points and Minnesota sitting atop 3 points. Check out the Vikings postgame breakdown to get a better sense of how the game went.

1 – Safety Jacob Thomas Keeps Earning a Beefy Workload

Several years ago, I was talking to a high school teacher about trying to turn his temporary contract into a permanent contract. His strategy involved doing as much as he could to help the school.

There was, of course, his normal teaching workload (classroom instruction, marking, etc.). But then he coached several sports teams and volunteered to help coordinate prom. All of the sudden, showing him the door became costly for the school since he was helping in so many areas.

Jacob Thomas started with the defense today. Yet again, he often looked fast and decisive while working as a center fielder who would creep close to the line of scrimmage when needed. He got worked into the mix with punt return and punt coverage. He was part of the defense seeking to block the Ravens field goal.

Kevin O’Connell praised the rookie in his postgame presser, describing him as “really smart, really instinctive” while giving him kudos for seizing the opportunity that has been in front of him.

Like an early-career teacher, Thomas could be hard to cut since he’s doing a lot of work.

2 – J.J. McCarthy High and Hot on Several Throws

Talent isn’t McCarthy’s issue. Rather, it’s being able to consistently do some of the basic parts of the job, like hitting an open receiver with regularity.

McCarthy wasn’t all bad. His deep bomb to Tai Felton was a great instance of maintaining his poise, stepping up in the pocket, and then showing off some arm strength. The problem, though, is that was one instance of excellence when what’s needed is consistency to surround these excellent moments.

I asked Coach O’Connell about the coaching point during the game when the ball is sailing high. The skipper said some of the issue could be due to pressure but that coaching adjustments during the game can be tough. By and large, Minnesota needs to roll with those tough moments and work on correcting them afterwards.

The questions about being dropped down to QB3 aren’t going to die down.

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3 – Myles Price Has Come a Long Way

Can’t help but be really happy for Myles Price. Not only is he eating up targets, but he also got tasked with breaking down the team prior to the game.

Last year, Myles Price got brought to town as an undrafted pickup. He demanded a whopping $0 in guaranteed money (Over the Cap), meaning he boasted zero job security. He’s now looking locked into the PR1 job and finds himself in a good spot to be the WR4.

4 – Dillon Bell Continues to Show Promise

Bell is somebody who can chew up yards in a hurry.

The do-it-all weapon went undrafted before Minnesota drained the ATM with $272,500 in guaranteed money. Getting onto the final roster is far from a sure thing. In fact, I’d guess that he’s on the fringe, at best.

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Toward the end of the opening half, Bell got hit on a short throw to the outside with less than 30 seconds on the clock. He didn’t get out of bounds, though, forcing Minnesota to burn a timeout for what was a 2-yard gain. That’s going to be frustrating for the coaches since timeouts are precious.

What’s clear, though, is that he’s somebody with explosive speed who could develop into a nice gadget guy for the Kevin O’Connell offense. He had 6 catches go for 51 yards.

5 – Demond Claiborne, Zavier Scott, and an Uninspiring Rushing Effort

Demond Claiborne boasts speed that’s second to none. He seldom got a chance to show it off, bottled up far too early in his reps. Claiborne’s 8 carries went for 22 yards.

Zavier Scott is a versatile player who boasts good size and silky mitts. He, too, got worked into the mix but couldn’t be described as having an explosive day. Scott’s day involved 7 carries for 28 yards.

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The Vikings will need to be better.

6 – Tai Felton Deep, Jeshaun Jones Deep, & The Pressure on the Passing Attack

In both instances, Felton and Jones were well covered. J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz still went for it.

The Kevin O’Connell era has largely been characterized by a potent passing attack. Going deep a pair of times is a reminder of what’s possible once the games start to matter.  Kyler Murray, the QB1, is going to work with a collection of skill that’s the envy of the NFL: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones.

Creating explosive gains while also arriving at some consistency on a play-by-play basis is what’s needed in Minnesota. Sometimes, that’s going to mean tossing the ball up and letting the receiver go get it.

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Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Deshaun Watson said this week that he didn’t care if Cleveland Browns fans booed him. It appears he might care a bit.

Watson was booed in Saturday’s preseason game. There was a smattering of boos when he entered the game in the second half, from a small group of fans in its seats already. The boos were noticeable after Watson threw a bad interception in the second half.

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Watson was not happy with what he called disrespect from the fans.

“I think the whole world knows, it has nothing to do about performance, It’s a little bit [more] personal than that,” Watson said after the game to the Cleveland media. “It’s a disrespectful thing. I’m going to keep whatever I feel between me and my family.”

Watson faced several lawsuits for sexual misconduct when he arrived with Cleveland. He was suspended six games by the NFL for that. Watson has also drawn the ire of fans for not playing well after Cleveland acquired him in one of the biggest trades in NFL history, then signed him to a fully-guaranteed $230 million extension. Since the Browns traded for him in 2022, he has thrown only 19 touchdowns. Owner Jimmy Haslam called the trade a “big swing and miss” in March 2025, though the team is having Watson compete for a starting job this season.

One thing that has set Watson back is injuries, and he referenced that after Saturday’s game. He tore his Achilles in 2024 during a game at Cleveland and some Browns fans cheered.

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“Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles. That same fanbase cheered when I got hurt,” Watson said Saturday. “What does that have to do with anything about performance? When a person gets hurt, especially in their own city, and they cheer.”

Watson was asked if he regretted coming to Cleveland.

“I don’t regret anything in my life,” Watson said. “I think the Lord puts me in these situations for a reason. I don’t regret anything at all. I had different throughts on how it was going to be, but it is what it is.”

Earlier this offseason, Watson said he had no ill will towards Cleveland. That also doesn’t appear completely accurate, after Saturday’s comments.

While the Winx Stakes contest between Autumn Glow and Sheza Alibi will be the main event this week, the Rosehill barrier trials are also attracting considerable attention as a number of top horses continue their preparations for upcoming races.

Everest hopeful Headwall is slated to participate in his third trial over 900 metres in the opening heat, running alongside notable rivals including Beadman, Lazzura, Linebacker, Marhoona, and Skyhook.

The seven-year-old hasn’t raced since incurring a leg injury after his Concorde Stakes (1000m) victory in September last year. Trainer Matthew Smith has orchestrated a gradual return to fitness for the horse.

He was initially entered for the Show County Quality (1200m) at Randwick this weekend, but the nomination was withdrawn as Smith opted to stick to his original strategy of aiming for successive wins in the feature sprint next month.

“I put him in and had a look, but decided I didn’t really want to change tack,” Smith stated. “I want to go to the Concorde and then go to The Shorts. He’s trialling Friday now and he’s low flying. I think he’s going better than last ‘prep’.”

Several promising three-year-olds from the new season will compete in the second heat, led by Reisling Stakes winner Chayan, Champagne Stakes placegetter Diameter, and Baillieu winner Southend. Todman Stakes winner Paradoxium will feature later in the session in trial six, and J J Atkins placegetter Stormy Marco in the eleventh heat.

Chris Waller has entered both Lady Shenandoah and Campione D’Italia for separate trials on Friday, but both are expected to race at Randwick the following day.

Lady Shenandoah is one of 14 acceptors for the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m), while Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Campione D’Italia returns against older horses in the Show County Quality (1200m).

Tommy Berry partnered the latter to his Skyline Stakes (1200m) win in February. After riding him in two recent trials and an exhibition gallop at Rosehill last weekend, Berry is keen to ride him again on race day.

“He was quite a handful (at two), but everything he’s doing this preparation so far is showing he’s matured quite a lot,” Berry said. “I’m looking forward to seeing him do it at the races.”

The highly anticipated Winx Stakes is drawing significant interest from the betting public. Those looking to place a wager can find competitive racing odds at online bookmakers.

The Ciaron Maher stable has a proven track record of maximising the potential of mares as they age.

Examples like Bella Nipotina and Pride Of Jenni demonstrate horses who maintained their class into their later racing years.

Tennessee Bound, while not quite at that elite level, possesses a unique aspect to her racing record that those two outstanding mares do not share.

Across six career starts, Tennessee Bound has yet to be defeated, and she will be aiming to prolong this perfect record in the Dr Sheahan Plate (1300m) at Sandown this Saturday.

The start of Tennessee Bound’s career was delayed until October of last year due to issues with immature knees, and the Maher team has handled her progression with expert care.

Jack Turnbull, the National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing, spoke about the stable’s careful selection of races for the mare.

“We’d have her in, give her a break, and thankfully (owner) Gerry (Ryan) just said do what you have to do,” Turnbull said.

“She’s a mare that has taken time and hopefully the time given repays us, but we can’t hide her now as we’ve placed her as best as we can.

“She’s in a 1300-metre benchmark 88 and we feel as though that’s that next bracket, but it’s tougher again than what she has been meeting.”

Turnbull noted that the team is uncertain about the upper limits of Tennessee Bound’s racing ability.

If Tennessee Bound manages to continue her winning form on Saturday, a possibility exists for her to contest the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m), a feature mares’ race at Flemington on September 12.

To date, Tennessee Bound has not raced beyond 1200m, making Saturday’s event a new challenge for the mare.

“If she was successful, a race that comes to mind is the Let’s Elope, potentially stepping up to 1400 (metres),” Turnbull explained.

“She’s a speed horse, so we don’t have to stretch her if we don’t want to.

“We would only be thinking of Black Type if she was winning again.

“It’s hard to determine how good she might be because she is still only lightly raced, but she will come back and be better again, I’m sure.

“What she is racing against and her ratings, she is that Listed, Group 3 level now, at the right time, but to say she’s a Group 1 horse is a bit audacious given her trajectory has been monitored.”

Throughout her winning streak, Tennessee Bound has consistently been positioned in the top three, including leading from start to finish in her last two assignments.

“If there is genuine pace in the race (on Saturday), we would love to be third, fourth, fifth, in that sweet spot,” Turnbull stated.

“She is unbeaten, she seems to raise the bar every time it is asked and hopefully, she can do it again on Saturday.”

Following a potential win in the Dr Sheahan Plate, the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes could be on the radar for Tennessee Bound; consider the latest sports betting options available.

Trainer Cliff Brown has encountered a series of unfortunate barrier draws for Almairac in recent weeks and has decided to take a punt by heading to Adelaide.

Almairac drew a wide gate in Sydney last Saturday, again from an outside alley at Sandown on Wednesday, and now faces barrier 12 of 13 acceptors in The Footbase Group Handicap (1994m) at Morphettville Parks on Saturday.

Brown confirmed that Almairac would make the journey to Adelaide from his Mornington stables, as it has been over five weeks since the gelding last competed.

That last start was in a Benchmark 70 race over 1800m, where Almairac finished fourth on a Heavy 9-rated track.

Brown suggested that the likelihood of a slightly firmer surface, rated a Soft 7 on Thursday, would be in the gelding’s favour.

Almairac also sees a weight advantage, dropping from 57.5kg at Sandown to 55kg on Saturday in Benchmark 78 grade, with Will Price booked to ride.

“He’s kept drawing wide and he’s done the same on Saturday, but I’m just going to chance my arm,” Brown said.

“That would be three times in a week that he would have missed a start because of poor barriers.”

“It’s come about because he drew 10 of 12 at Randwick, drew 11 at Sandown, and the start at Randwick can be a bit tricky, and we’ve got 12 on Saturday.”

“The heavy track probably got him last time, but he had had a bit of a gap between runs, and for the pattern of the day, he ran pretty well.”

“There has been rain in Adelaide, but it’s clearing up, and I’ve got to race him somewhere, and that seems the most logical one.”

“He’s worked very well. I’m happy with how he is, but I’d love to draw a gate.”

Explore the available betting markets for the race at your preferred Australian betting sites.