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There were fireworks and flames on a balmy September night and, perhaps, at the end of an encounter that nonetheless produced the expected result, something resembling hope for Harlequins. 12 months ago, almost to the day, a club soon shown to be in turmoil were beaten by a below-their-best Bath in a performance that rather set the tone for a season of tumult and trouble. Handed the same tough task to open another Prem season and more than a dollop of misfortune beforehand, there was just enough pluck and punch to suggest brighter times may be to come – even if the hosts cannot yet compete with this division’s best.

It did not help, of course, to be down four figures like Marcus Smith, Alex Dombrandt, Fin Baxter and new recruit George Furbank – comfort can be taken from the fact that all bar Dombrandt are expected back in the next couple of weeks. To have lost both Smith and Furbank during the course of their final preseason game was a tough break indeed given both the leadership and quality they provide – and there were encouraging signs of a sort in their absence with a Santiago Carreras wonder-try that caused a 14-point swing the real difference between the teams.

The spunk, spice and spite about their side’s performance would have pleased a Stoop crowd that increasingly grew unfaithful last year – even if a few nagging concerns about the state of what feels a strangely shallow squad remain. Indeed, the eventual margin of defeat remained unchanged; in pure accounting on the table, a pointless outing for the hosts. There is much, much more work to be done. “There were moments today that last year Bath would have run in three tries really quickly,” head coach Jason Gilmore said. “We created a lot of line breaks out there and then were just a bit impatient. I’m proud of the boys efforts and we definitely competed hard, but disappointed that we blew a few chances.”

It was one of those bitty games of rugby characteristic of these opening skirmishes of the season, one in which the ball seemed to spend as much time on the deck as safely in the grasp. Indeed, both of Harlequins’ first half scores found the bounce of the ball looking kindly upon them – first Will Porter after a lineout and then Oscar Beard from an aerial contest making the most of a friendly ricochet, with the second score finished off by a long-striding Chandler Cunningham-South.

Yet things always looked closer to clicking for Bath. Dan du Preez, lured south from Sale to fill an Alfie Barbeary-shaped hole at the base of the scrum, had given them an early lead with a punchy short-range try, and Joe Cokanasiga was similarly muscular as he cut a sharp angle on Tom Carr-Smith’s shoulder. Their third try, meanwhile, was a moment of magic – Carreras jutting out a leg to intercept what should have been a scoring pass to Beard, before dashing beneath his flick up and under the posts.

“He’s done some things in training that are amazing,” Bath boss Johann van Graan explained. “In my view, that is try of the season for us in round one. That decision, firstly, to use his foot, and then the skill level to kick it up, gather on the touchline, keep his head and finish it. What a moment and what a player.”

The Argentina playmaker had struggled to show the best of himself during his first season at the Rec but here was a reminder of the quality lurking in Johann van Graan’s ranks. When they had come here last year, the Bath boss had been forced to deploy Max Ojomoh in the No 10 shirt but if the playmaking partnership of Carreras and Finn Russell find their groove under new attack coach Mike Prendergast, Bath may look a complete attacking proposition again. Re-finding the scalpel to go with the bludgeon that took them to two semi-finals last season may prove the difference this.

That up-front heft remains, mind, even without Thomas du Toit, Barbeary and a couple of other departees. Dan Frost was the beneficiary of a driving maul to bag a bonus point before half time. But Harlequins stuck in there, upping their own physicality in a manner they had failed to at times last year. Pedro Delgado gave them hope and compatriot Guido Petti should really have given them more, only to be turtled by two Bath tacklers as he strove for the line.

It proved costly as Bath regained their grip on the contest. Ewan Richards and the rest of a power-packed bench produced a rumbling mass that Harlequins could not stop. There may be a bit of pain yet before they turn the promise into points.

Northampton, meanwhile, began the defence of their Prem title with a 59-26 win over Newcastle Red Bulls as youngster James Pater filled Furbank’s boots effectively with a hat-trick from full-back.

Tommy Freeman also crossed thrice in a fine start to the season for the defending champions – though Werner Kok snatched a bonus point for the Red Bulls at the last to root Harlequins to the bottom.

Christian Eriksen has agreed to terminate his contract with German soccer club Wolfsburg, nearly four months after the Danish midfielder collapsed on the field for the second time in his career, the team said Wednesday.

The 34-year-old Eriksen hasn’t played since he collapsed after clutching his chest during Denmark’s friendly match against Ukraine in Odense, Denmark on June 7. His contract had been due to run until the end of June 2027.

“At the moment, it is important for me to be close to my family in Denmark. I’m pleased that we were able to find a solution together,” Eriksen said in a statement issued by the club. “It was a great pleasure for me to play for you, and I will look back fondly on this period.”

The incident in June brought back memories of Eriksen’s cardiac arrest at the European Championship five years earlier, as players formed a circle around him while he received medical attention. He was able to walk off the field by himself and was taken to a hospital.

(Photo by Bo Amstrup / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty Images) / Denmark OUT

Eriksen said in June he was “doing well” and that an implantable cardioverter defibrillator fitted to support his heart after the 2021 incident had done its job. He had been undergoing rehabilitation in Denmark since.

The former Manchester United and Tottenham player had joined Wolfsburg as a free agent before the 2025-26 season, which ended with the team being relegated from the Bundesliga.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

Jared Macaluso rushed for 175 yards on 17 carries and caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Owen Curran in the first quarter to lead the East Catholic high school football team to its 8-6 win over Bristol Eastern. Macaluso’s two-point conversion run proved to be the difference.

Defensively, East Catholic (3-0) was led by Parker Barnes’ 15 tackles and Nick Galatie’s 13 tackles and one sack.

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Jacob Kingsley scored on a 6-yard run in the fourth quarter. for Bristol Eastern (0-3).

EAST CATHOLIC 8 0 0 0 – 8
BRISTOL EASTERN 0 0 6 0 – 6
EC – Jared Macaluso 4 pass from Owen Curran. (Macaluso Run)
BE – Jacob Kingsley 6 run (conversion failed)

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This article originally published at Connecticut high school football Week 3 roundup: East Catholic improves to 3-0.

The current generation of City fans only know about success, but those from yesteryear know all about watching their side playing in the old Division Two.

Their promotion via the play-offs at the end of the 1998-99 season came after facing the likes of York City, Oldham Athletic and Chesterfield in the league.

Fast forward almost three decades, City now possess one of the best strikers in the world in Erling Haaland, who reached 100 Premier League goals faster than anyone in the competition’s history.

City sit top of the table after winning all five of their league games so far and their first game after the international break is a trip to face Liverpool at Anfield.

City fan Matt said on 5 Live: “I think I need therapy now. It has escalated over the last few hours. It’s so hard to be a die-hard Blue. The decision is made, yet we haven’t appealed it or really made a statement yet.

“I was there when Paul Dickov scored back in Division Two. We celebrated that success and went on to do incredible things. We have a song about going down with a billion in the bank.

“If we get titles taken off us, point deductions, we come out of this league, then we will fight until the end. I can’t wait to see Erling Haaland bag a hat-trick against Grimsby.

“You go through the good times and the hard times. We have to go to Liverpool and it’s going to be very interesting to see how we react. We boo the Champions League anthem, well what about the Premier League?”

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle was once again unable to practice on Friday due to a toe injury. He is now trending in the wrong direction to play in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

If Dowdle is unable to suit up this week, it should open up the door for Jaylen Warren to see a significant boost in snaps and opportunities in Week 3. This is a situation you should still be monitoring, but we would be surprised at this point if Dowdle is able to suit up on Sunday.

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Fantasy Impact

RB Rico Dowdle, Pittsburgh Steelers

It’s not looking good for Dowdle this week after injuring his toe in Week 2. If he is listed as inactive, we will then have to begin to look forward to Week 4 and hope this isn’t a multi-week injury. We are hoping to get more clarity on this situation sooner rather than later, but if you were planning to start Dowdle this week, you should come up with a backup plan.

RB Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers

Warren had already been the better fantasy option of the two backs, but his value will skyrocket if Dowdle is ruled out. After playing on just 31% of the offensive snaps in Week 1, Warren saw his snaps climb to 71% in Week 2, with Dowdle injuring his toe. We would expect that number to climb even higher this week.

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Through two games, Warren has carried the ball 21 times for 89 yards at 4.2 yards per carry, and caught seven of nine targets for 61 yards. We would expect that he will see 15-plus carries this week and at least five targets.

He is going to see plenty of opportunities this week and should be locked into lineups as a fantasy RB2 this week. Even in a matchup against the Bengals, who have been tough against fantasy running backs this season.

RB Eli Heidenreich, Pittsburgh Steelers

There is a faction of the fantasy community that is very excited about Heidenreich, which makes him worth mentioning. He was very good with the Navy last season and fits well in the Pittsburgh system; however, he would probably be a better fit if it were Warren instead of Dowdle missing time.

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Nevertheless, he could be a factor in this backfield. There is also a chance that Travis Homer could be the next man up. In no world should you be starting Heidenreich this right, but he could be an intriguing option in some DFS tournaments.

More Fantasy Sports On SI News

This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Injury Update: Rico Dowdle Fails To Practice Friday, Locking Jaylen Warren Into Fantasy Football Lineups.

The letter released this Friday and signed by the heads of the Bundesliga, the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A called for major changes to how FIFA operates — and for a greater say in decision-making.

“Football’s ​longstanding foundations have, in recent years, been threatened by a fundamental governance problem, whereby FIFA’s president has actively promoted exploitative ​ideas rather than safeguarding against them,” it said.

FFE private investment plan dropped

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been facing a wave of criticism since late July, when his plan for private investment through a commercial vehicle, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), emerged. The idea was for FFE to organize FIFA’s tournaments while maximizing profits.

Vigorous opposition from UEFA, European football’s governing body, as well as CONCACAF (North and Central America plus the Caribbean) and the Asian Football Confederation led Infantino to quickly drop the plan.

However, the league bosses noted that this had not solved a deeper problem and appeared to dismiss a recent announcement by Infantino of an independent external review of FIFA governance as well as consultations on strengthening decision-making processes.

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‘Fundamental governance reform essential’

“It is not enough for surface-level, process changes to be explored in the aftermath of FFE — fundamental governance reform is essential to restore clear constitutional boundaries within FIFA, including confidence that individual disciplinary matters remain demonstrably insulated from political interference,” Friday’s letter from the leagues said.

The last line was in reference to the widespread discontent around FIFA’s handling of the Folarin Balogun case, with the United States striker’s one-match ban being suspended to allow him to play a World Cup last-16 match against Belgium in July. While the ban was imposed by FIFA’s disciplinary committee, it came after US President Donald Trump had personally called Infantino asking for a “review” of the ban — something Trump publicly admitted.

The leagues on Friday called for greater checks and balances to be implemented at FIFA, while at the same time demanding that they and others be given a say in decisions such as increases in the number of international matches.

Stakeholders ‘not meaningfully involved in process’

The letter went on to say that “… when FIFA takes major unilateral decisions directly affecting us — for example, by expanding the International Match Calendar (IMC) and extending the periods in which domestic competitions must pause — the stakeholders most affected are not meaningfully involved in the decision-making process.

 “A FIFA governance that concentrates unchecked regulatory, commercial and political power in a single office, while relegating affected stakeholders to mere advisory status, is not fit for purpose.”

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The letter, while implying much criticism of Infantino, did not call for him to step down 3 it didn’t even mention him by name.

Search for a challenger ongoing

The letter comes as UEFA has said it is looking for a suitable candidate to challenge Infantino in the next presidential election in March, in which Infantino has said he will run for reelection.

UEFA has also called for an independent external review of how the FFE plan was developed, and has filed legal applications through the US courts for the disclosure of documents related to the plan. This was with a view to a possible criminal complaint being lodged in Switzerland if it is established that Infantino undervalued FFE at $20 billion (€17.5 billion).

FIFA has described UEFA’s legal moves as a “smear campaign” against it but has not yet commented on Friday’s letter from the league bosses.

Infantino aims to discuss his proposals at a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on October 15, a week after UEFA is to hold a meeting of all of its 55 member associations on October 8 in Berlin. 

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Any person aiming to challenge Infantino in the March 18, 2027 FIFA presidential election must register as a candidate by November 18.

Edited by: Hecko Flores

As 2027 approaches, the standout fight that boxing fans want to see seems to be a potential cruiserweight showdown between David Benavidez and Jai Opetaia, and former two-division world champion Andre Ward has shared his verdict on the proposed bout. 

Opetaia defeated the then-reigning WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian earlier this month, but he didn’t get his hands on the belt despite the win.

Instead, due to that bout not being sanctioned as a title bout, interim champion Michal Cieslak was elevated to full WBC cruiserweight world champion and ordered to face Benavidez next.

The victor of Benavidez-Cieslak, which is mooted for December 12, will then be ordered to defend all three of their world titles against two-time IBF champion Opetaia, who remains undefeated despite twice losing his status as champion.

Speaking on the All The Smoke Fight podcast, Ward detailed what Opetaia must do in order to get the better of ‘The Mexican Monster’ and claim the WBA, WBO and WBC titles.

“That is the fight that needs to get made in the cruiserweight division, David Benavidez and Jai Opetaia. It takes a lot of skill to slow down an offensive guy like David Benavidez, it’s not just skill but it’s toughness too because he is only going to respect you by hitting him.

“You are going to have to get your respect at a certain point in time, but you also can’t get dragged into throwing 100/110 punches per round or whatever it is that he throws as a cruiserweight. 

“You can’t get caught up in that because that’s not your game, but you have got to do enough to let him know that you are here. You have got to land enough to let him know that you are there – and you have got to try and stay up on the points as well,

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“I think, for Jai, he has got to find a healthy balance because he has got good legs. He has got to understand where to be and when to be there, what angles to take but then also to instinctively know when to stand and rumble for 5, 10, 15, 20 seconds and give David what he likes and then go back to doing what he does, which is easier said than done.”

With Benavidez-Cieslak set for December, Opetaia is expected to remain on the sidelines until his shot at the winner, with that mandated bout anticipated to take place around Cinco De Mayo next year.

Week 2 is in the books and Fantasy football managers now have two weeks of results to work with heading into Week 3, but that doesn’t necessarily make decision-making for lineups any easier. Do you trust early breakouts like Jalen Coker, Denzel Boston and Parker Washington over proven options who have started slow, while stars like Jahmyr Gibbs, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Ja’Marr Chase remain some of the safest plays on the board?

If you have some start/sit decisions that are close enough that you want the advice of an experienced fantasy football analyst, you’re in the right place. Welcome to Dave Richard’s Week 3 PPR cheat sheet, with rankings for every player in the mix for a starting gig on your Fantasy teams.

What do the numbers mean? All weekly analysis, from data points to matchup outlooks to game-flow predictions, is represented as a number on a 1-10 confidence scale. The higher the number next to a player’s name, the more confident I am that you should start him. The numbers are not projections but confidence scores to help you pick who to start. Every relevant player for this week is listed, so if you do not see a player named, do not start them start him.

To find a specific player, use your search function (CTRL-F on PCs and Command-F on Macs). If neither is an option, or if you’re on a mobile device, you can search by typing the name in the URL bar or scrolling down by game. If you’re still unsure, just send Dave a note (@DaveRichard), and he will take a look, time permitting. Remember to use the #AskFFT hashtag!

If you’re reading this on Sunday, please refer to CBS Sports’ weekly rankings, which are updated in real-time.

Ready to get off on the right foot? Here’s how to approach every play for this week in every PPR league.