Hours after Canada won a tense semifinal match over Finland at the Winter Games in Italy, the Americans locked in the all-North America final by smashing Slovakia 6-2.
Now, for the third time in four Games featuring NHLers, Canada and the U.S. will play for gold. Slovakia, meanwhile, will try to end the tournament on a high when they battle the Finns for bronze.
After surviving a quarterfinal scare versus Sweden — the Americans surrendered a 1-0 lead with 90 seconds to go, but came through in overtime — the potential was certainly there for the Stars and Stripes to overwhelm the Cinderella Slovaks.
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And that’s exactly what happened.
Granted, the issue was at least somewhat in doubt halfway through the game, as the Slovaks — surprise winners of a preliminary-round group featuring Finland and Sweden — were trailing just 2-0. However, Jack Hughes — who continues to be one of America’s most dangerous skaters — scored a gorgeous goal to make it a 3-0 lead with 7:46 to go in the second. Nineteen seconds later, Jack Eichel deposited a fourth American tally that chased Slovakian goalie Samuel Hlavaj, who had done all he could to keep his club as close as possible to the powerhouse Americans.
From there, Team USA put two more pucks past Stanislav Skorvanek in the third period to round out the Red, White and Blue scoring.
The only point of potential concern for Team USA was the fact that Tage Thompson — who scored his third goal of the tournament in the win — did not return with the team after the second intermission for the final frame. His absence was described as “precautionary” on the broadcast, and head coach Mike Sullivan said after the game that Thompson is expected to play against Canada on Sunday.
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Slovakia looked overmatched from the outset, as the Americans came at them with speed and physicality. Team USA opened the scoring just 4:19 into the night when Zach Werenski hit Dylan Larkin in full flight at the offensive blueline. Larkin tore into the Slovakian zone and let a shot go that ticked off defenceman Peter Ceresnak’s stick and into the net.
Slovakia did get two power-play opportunities in the first period, but couldn’t mount much of an attack. Still, it looked like they might emerge from the opening 20 minutes in a feel-good state thanks to some huge saves by Hlavaj. However, the Americans went to work on a man advantage with 58 seconds left in the frame and, sure enough, Thompson walloped his third of the tournament, crushing a one-timer from below the face-off dot off the right arm of Hlavaj and into the short side of the net for a 2-0 American advantage.
Slovakia got a couple more power-play chances early in the second frame, but again the U.S. kept them at bay. The path to an upset required some special-teams success and the Slovaks just weren’t able to generate Grade-A looks, even at five-on-four.
The dam finally broke when Jack Hughes grabbed the puck in the offensive zone, absolutely juked longtime NHLer and Slovak captain Tomas Tatar in the high slot and wired a shot past Hlavaj.
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Moments later, the Tkachuk brothers — Matthew and Brady — went crashing into the end boards and kicked the puck back to Eichel, who swiped it into the net.
After the Slovak goalie change, Jack Hughes went back to work and scored his second of the night, this time on an American power play. Hughes now enters the gold medal game tied with Thompson, Auston Matthews — who had several great chances but couldn’t buy one versus the Slovaks — and Brady Tkachuk — who scored on a third-period breakaway — for the team lead with three goals.
With Thompson expected to be good to go for the final, the U.S. has certainly found something on its third line with Larkin between Thompson and Hughes. There’s a bit of everything on the unit, with Larkin’s sharp two-way game up the middle, to say nothing of Thompson’s all-world shot and hard-to-handle six-foot-six frame. Throw in Hughes’ outrageous shiftiness and ability to create offence at any moment and you’ve got a recipe for a lethal line.
Connor Hellebuyck wasn’t tested a whole lot while facing 15 shots, but he did have to do some work before the score got out of hand. Not long before Thompson scored to make it 2-0 in the first, Slovak centre Matus Sukel sent a shot through from the point that was tipped by Adam Liksa and made it through to the net. Hellebuyck turned it aside with all kinds of traffic in his face and the U.S. was able to clear the zone.
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Not surprisingly, when Slovakia did beat Hellebuyck for their first goal, it was Montreal Canadiens star Juraj Slafkovsky scoring his fourth of the Olympics in the third period. Before the final buzzer, Pavol Regenda snuck in behind the U.S. defence and scored on a nice shot under the bar to close out the scoring.
Ultimately, the Americans endured precious few tense moments and will be on their toes, flying into Sunday morning’s (8:10 a.m. ET) gold medal showdown with Canada.
While all of North America will be fixated on that battle, Slovakia will be gunning for a second straight bronze medal when they take on the Finns — who won gold four years ago — at 2:40 p.m. ET on Saturday. After winning the country’s first-ever hockey medal at the 2022 Games, earning another third-place finish — this time versus the best of the best — would be huge for Slovakia.
From teetering on the edge of going out of business during the early 2000s to preparing to kick off a league’s 31st season with some of the best players in the world, Major League Soccer has come a long way since the first ball was kicked between the San Jose Clash and D.C. United in 1996. What started as a mandate to bring first division soccer to the United States as a stipulation in landing the 1994 World Cup has become one of the top soccer leagues in the world, with no signs of slowing down. Beginning with only 10 teams in 1996, there will be 30 teams in action this weekend, as the league has grown in unimaginable ways. From multimillion-dollar facilities to the presence on national teams and World Cup rosters, and of course, Lionel Messi, the fingerprints of MLS will be all over the 2026 World Cup, taking place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico this summer.
MLS commissioner Don Garber summed this up well during his state of the league address in December, saying, “We’d love to say that [the World Cup is] the rocket fuel, but this jet has been running for 30 years, and it’s going to run for another 30.”
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In what will be the biggest World Cup in history, the 2026 tournament will expand to 48 teams for the first time, featuring at least four first-time qualifiers. It’s expected to surpass records set by the 1994 World Cup, which is still the most attended in history. The 16 host cities are only the tip of the iceberg as well, with training facilities being picked out all around North America to ensure that national teams can have a true home away from home. But for any of this to happen, it goes back to the soccer builders in this country — Lamar Hunt (of the Hunt family that owns the Kansas City Chiefs), Alan Rothenberg, Philip Anschutz, and so many more.
Only a few may have expected things would advance so far when MLS started. However, for the first commissioner in league history, Doug Logan, this doesn’t surprise him in the slightest.
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“Yes, I did,” Logan said when asked if he expected to see the best players in the world playing in MLS. “People ask me that all the time. And the answer is yes. Part of the responsibility and the charge to the top leader in entities like this is to be able to have a vision of what could be and then tirelessly and ceaselessly keep the institution and the organization on that track. I realized where it was going to go. Not where it could go, but where it was going to go.
“I also realized after the first year or a year and a half that it was going to take longer and be more expensive to get there than my owners anticipated, And those were two realities for me, but if you’re asking me, did I ever envision it getting to this, the answer is yes.”
NASL collapses, MLS rises
Even with the league being founded in the wake of the North American Soccer League collapsing, that didn’t stop investors like the Hunt family from buying into the potential that MLS could have. The NASL brought Pele to North America, and the New York Cosmos are still to this day one of the most recognizable American soccer brands, despite not having played a game since 2020 — although that will change in March as they take the pitch to face Portland Hearts of Pine in New Jersey in USL League One.
At times, being able to keep that vision may have been easier said than done, especially during a period when Anschutz owned six of the league’s 10 clubs, but the message remained the same. The people involved with the founding of MLS saw the potential in the league, and it was massive, but to come full circle with another World Cup on United States soil is where things are special in this moment of reflection. It may have taken longer than expected to get the World Cup back, but this is where the league can show how far it has come from the days of 10 clubs and franchises folding (Tampa Bay Mutiny, Miami Fusion, Chivas USA) and take advantage of the increased interest in soccer in America during it.
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MLS cities, facilities to have huge impact
Host cities during the FIFA Club World Cup took notice when Boca Juniors fans descended on Miami, ES Tunis fans took over Times Square, and Brazilian fans marched from the Art Museum in Philadelphia, and it’s an effect that will only be magnified during the World Cup. Kansas City will be central to this, with Algeria, Argentina, England, and the Netherlands all training in the Kansas City region.
“A World Cup puts the host country and all of the host cities on the global map. And of course, Kansas City is a big city, but from a global standpoint, it’s probably not a very well-known city, with maybe the exception of its American football league team, which has garnered a little bit of global recognition over the last six or seven years,” said Clark Hunt, chairman and CEO of the Hunt Sports Group, which owns the Chiefs and MLS club FC Dallas. “But I really expect that Kansas City will become known globally because of its role in hosting World Cup games.”
MLS facilities have come a long way during this time, as the new Red Bull New York training facility in Whippany, N.J., that will open in March has a price tag higher than most early soccer-specific stadiums as over $120 million. That facility will host the Brazil national team during this summer’s World Cup.
Many of the league’s newest facilities have garnered praise globally, with players noting the differences as well as teams and executives abroad taking note, but with national teams making the United States their home during the summer, it will be a true show of what these facilities have to offer. They were a large part of why the first expanded World Cup is taking place in the United States, and who knows, the facilities could lead to a few transfers into MLS following the World Cup. During a changing tide of American soccer, even those will be easier with the league looking to adopt a summer-to-spring schedule shift in 2027 to aling with the rest of the soccer world.
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It’s one of many reasons why this World Cup feels like as much of an inflection point as it does a celebration of soccer, which was also the case in 1994, which brought the pressure of a new league, as there wasn’t even a commissioner until November of 1995, before beginning play in 1996.
“I had less than three months before we were going to play in 10 cities. It was a whirlwind kickstart. We had an incredibly successful first year because everyone was kicking the tires and thinking that it’s going to be like the World Cup, and leagues are not like the World Cup. Leagues are there to endure and stay and have a legacy,” Logan said.
And more than 30 years later, MLS has endured and is building its legacy brick by brick. This year won’t have such a sprint compared to what ’94 did, but with the coming shift, it’s clear that the league is also entering a new era. New stadium projects will also see New York City FC’s time playing at Yankee Stadium come to an end, and MLS has a massive opportunity in the wake of the World Cup.
But the trajectory doesn’t end there because it also impacts the youth level, which MLS EVP and Chief Communications Officer Dan Courtemanche notes.
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“We’re a league now that has elite player development and incredible facilities, and 43,000 kids playing in MLS NEXT. My son plays U15 MLS NEXT. He’s with an elite club; he plays against the Red Bulls, New York City FC, the Revolution, and D.C. United, and I see the sophistication now at the youth level,” Courtemanche said. “This is my 34th season about to start in professional soccer but I’m only a few season in when it comes to viewing it as a soccer parent at a serious level, and my son, when he’s done within 24 to 36 hours, he goes onto Taka.io, the software program, our partners, and he can see videos of all the key plays that he made, the pluses and the minuses and it helps him evaluate his game he works with his coach and it makes him better, and I gotta tell you, I didn’t see that coming probably even five or 10 years ago that 43,000 kids have access to that.”
With players like Alex Freeman and Obed Vargas making the jump to top level European leagues this year and others like Cavan Sullivan set to follow in the future, the impact of MLS Next on youth soccer can’t be understated as well as the impact that the United Soccer League has in offering more pathways and opportunities for people to play and learn about soccer who may not have previously been able to.
Capitalizing on the World Cup wave
While there’s optimism about what MLS can gain from the World Cup, it’s critical to catch soccer fans soon after the World Cup. It’s easier to do when the league can now say, “Look at these players who were at the World Cup, you can keep watching them in MLS,” which isn’t something that could’ve been said to this degree in previous World Cups outside of members of North American national teams. Truth be told, 2022 was a banner year for MLS at the World Cup, and the 2026 edition is set to be even bigger. Messi joined MLS in the following summer, and he won the Ballon d’Or as a member of Inter Miami for his production in 2022.
Lionel Messi’s 2023 Ballon d’Or was awarded to him as a member of Inter Miami.
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“During the last two years, in total attendance, we were the second-highest attended league in the world behind the Premier League. And I wouldn’t have imagined that either,” Courtemanche said. “So look, the world’s game is here. It’s continuing. And even during the World Cup in 2022, we had 37 players from Major League Soccer competing for various national teams. That was more than any other league in the Western Hemisphere.”
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But how that conversion is done is critical. Just because someone watches the World Cup doesn’t mean that they’ll automatically decide that MLS is the league for them, but the league will need to ensure that it capitalizes on those people sampling soccer to turn them into domestic fans.
“One of the things that has happened after every World Cup in recent times is that the domestic league that plays in the host country receives a big boost,” Hunt said. “If you look at the attendance numbers, the TV viewership, in the year or two after a country hosts the World Cup, those numbers grow significantly. And I think in a country like the United States, where we still have an opportunity to create a lot of new soccer fans, I think that’ll be particularly pronounced. And so MLS will have a real opportunity to benefit both in terms of fans attending games and watching the league on TV. So I think that’s very exciting for Major League Soccer and something that we need to make sure we capitalize on.”
MLS isn’t a league that has been around for the vast majority of Americans’ lives like some other places that have hosted World Cups, but with a fandom that tends to a younger demographic, the league can set itself up well for the next 30-plus years, although, hopefully, it won’t take that long for the World Cup to return to America. Soccer in America has come a long way since the last World Cup, and it could be unrecognizable, taking another look back in the future, in a good way, considering the successes that have happened since the MLS’ founding. American players have taken massive steps over the last several years, and MLS has as well. They are counting on their growth to continue, be further cultivated by the World Cup, and for the next set of years to bring exponential growth initial founders could have only dreamed of.
It seemed like Benn and Hearn would work together on a big fight following that win over Eubank, with the likes of Shakur Stevenson and Ryan Garcia mentioned as possible opponents, but ‘The Destroyer’ will now instead team up with Zuffa and White.
“I’ve known about this for a few days now. I received an email from Conor Benn’s lawyer to make me aware of it. I’m not going to sit here and hang Conor Benn out to dry, I’ll be honest with you, me personally, pretty devasted.
“I’ve had a few days to digest what might happen. Maybe this interview is different to what it would have been a couple of days ago, it’s not often you get shocked, I blame myself, because I forgot it was boxing.
“I just felt that the loyalty that we’ve shown would never ever put us in this position. I felt I never really needed to push Conor Benn to sign a new contract previously and I probably could have done. I blame myself, I made a mistake. I misjudged the character.”
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Hearn then revealed that he reached out to Benn to discuss the situation, but that the British fighter was unwilling to chat.
“I’m not going to hang him out to dry, he will say it was a big offer. When I received the email from his lawyer, I text him and said ‘I think we should have a call. After everything I’ve done for you I think I deserve a call.’ He said no.
“I can’t believe it, I don’t know what to say other than I felt everything that we gave him, the loyalty that we gave him, the support we gave him would be enough to talk it through or get close to a number but there wasn’t the interest. Very surprising, very painful, but another moment in life you live and learn from.”
Benn’s next fight is set to be announced in due course, but it is clear that the relationship with Hearn will never be the same again.
Feb. 20—Even two years ago, it might have been easy to look at Gonzaga’s upcoming home swing and pencil the Zags in for two routine victories.
But things tend to change fast in college basketball.
In 2023-24, Pacific cratered to a 6-26 record, lost to Pepperdine 102-43 in the West Coast Conference Tournament and finished the Leonard Perry era ranked No. 354 at KenPom.
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Those dark days are now distant memories — a testament to the work second-year coach Dave Smart has done in a short time rebuilding the Tigers program.
The Pacific team visiting McCarthey Athletic Center for a 6 p.m. (KHQ/ESPN+) tipoff on Saturday is on the verge of breaking into the top 100 at KenPom, currently ranked No. 110. If the regular season ended today, the Tigers (17-12, 8-8) would earn a bye to the quarterfinals of the West Coast Conference Tournament as the fourth-place team in the league standings.
Four days after Pacific swings through the Inland Northwest, the Zags get a Senior Night visit from Portland. No reminder is needed as to why Mark Few’s team shouldn’t overlook the Pilots (12-16, 5-10), who are tied for eighth in the WCC standings.
Gonzaga can’t afford to drop either game if it wants to raise a WCC regular-season trophy at the end of a consequential eight-day stretch that begins with Saturday’s test against Pacific and concludes the following Saturday at Saint Mary’s.
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“We just got done with a really tough back-to-back down here in the Bay Area,” Mark Few said after Wednesday’s 80-59 win over San Francisco at the Chase Center. “That was marked on my calendar as a really tough stretch. Got through that one, now we’ve got to get home tonight and rest up.”
The Zags need two wins in their final three games to secure the No. 1 seed at the WCC Tournament. If Gonzaga, Santa Clara and Saint Mary’s all finish with identical records, the Zags would control the tiebreaker against both teams due to their 2-0 record against the Broncos. The Gaels dropped their first game against Santa Clara and will face the Broncos again on Wednesday in Moraga.
For Gonzaga, the cleanest path to securing the program’s first outright WCC championship since 2021-22 would be winning the three remaining games. If Santa Clara and Saint Mary’s both lose once more, the Zags only need to go 2-1 to clinch the regular-season title.
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Step one is handling Saturday’s game against much-improved Pacific. Last year’s 9-24 record signified progress from a 6-26 mark the year prior, but the Tigers have taken another sizable step forward in Smart’s second season and could reach 20 wins for just the third time since 2008-09 and first time since 2019-20.
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The top three teams in the WCC have separated from everyone else, with six games between the teams in third and fourth place, but Pacific is one of seven that could still finish in fourth and earn a coveted bye to the quarterfinals of the league tournament.
“Pacific’s having a heckuva year,” Few said. “The best I can remember.”
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The Tigers are in a position to finish top four in the WCC after replacing every rotation player not named Elias Ralph. A preseason All-WCC selection, Ralph is leading Pacific in scoring at 16.6 points per game and rebounding at 6.8 boards per game.
Senior guard TJ Wainwright, a Long Beach State transfer who scored just two points on 1 of 10 shooting when the 49ers visited the Kennel last season, is the other Pacific player scoring double figures at 13.7 ppg.
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Wainwright is one of four transfers in Pacific’s starting unit, alongside Dayton’s Isaac Jack (9.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Maine’s Jaden Clayton (7.5 ppg, 4.4 apg), and UC San Diego’s Justin Rochelin (6.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg).
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Smart, who’s considered one of the most successful Canadian college basketball coaches of all time, won 656 career games at Carleton University before accepting the Pacific job on March 27, 2024, giving him a short window to build his first roster in Stockton, California.
“Last year I recruited, we had to find guys,” Smart said in October at WCC Media Day. “I came in so late, we had no money, we were so late, we had no high school recruits. We had to find guys and I had to recruit the way I used to tell the young coaches … do not do it this way.
“We paid a price for it and we knew we were going to pay a price for it. This year, we recruited the way we recruited at Carleton. I can tell you, we just said if you don’t want to be a high-level pro, then do not come here. But if you think you’re a high-level pro right now, do not come here.”
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The Tigers have been a defensive- and rebounding-oriented team this season. They rank No. 58 nationally in scoring defense, allowing 68.8 ppg, and No. 59 in rebounds per game at 38.1.
Gonzaga hasn’t lost to Pacific under Few, winning all 22 matchups and 24 of the previous 25 games against the Tigers.
Favour Ofili is a Turkish sprinter who competes in the 100 m, 200 m and 4×100 m relay. Ofili made her Olympic debut in women’s 200m at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she finished sixth in the finals. In 2025, Ofili switched her sporting allegiance from Nigeria to Turkey.
The dispute between Favour Ofili and Nigerian sports authorities has intensified following reports that the Nigerian Sports Commission is seeking to prevent her from representing Turkey at the 2028 Olympic Games.
Officials reportedly argue that Ofili remains tied to Nigeria after receiving a training grant in early 2025 and must complete the standard three-year waiting period before competing for another country. There are also suggestions that clearance could be delayed until after the 2028 Olympics, pending investigations.
Ofili has now publicly responded, explaining her decision to switch allegiance.
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“I switched to Turkey to save my career from your incompetence,” she said. “It started in Japan, many of us were not registered after qualifying. Happened again in Paris. Yet they moved on like nothing happened. They set up a panel and do nothing. No apologies.”
She added that repeated administrative failures forced her to make a difficult decision.
“The people paid to look after us are the ones denying us from competing after a hard qualification,” Ofili said. “Mary Onyali was never denied from competing. I was. I am a woman. I don’t have time on my side. I had to run for my career and my family.”
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The situation follows controversy surrounding her Olympic registration and broader tensions with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, which had previously suggested it would not oppose a nationality switch.
Netherlands’ players celebrate the wicket of Pakistan’s Shadab Khan during the T20 World Cup in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (AP/PTI)
New Delhi: During the 2016 T20 World Cup, the then Netherlands captain Peter Borren, in one of the press conferences, was almost in tears and made an emotional plea to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to spend more on the Associates. “There is a sort of malaise towards Associate cricket. To grow further in the game, we always hear it is not commercially viable,” he had said.“Look at Indian television, highlights of us beating England are everywhere. Clearly, fans enjoy watching new teams succeed. So give us the opportunity. Let us compete, and let us be seen,” he had said, referring to the highlights of the Netherlands beating England in the 2009 T20 Cricket World Cup.
T20 World Cup | Muhammad Waseem press conference after loss vs New Zealand
Cut to the present, the noise is again getting louder, with Associates pushing Full Members to the edge, and it all started with the Netherlands again.Pakistan had slipped from 98/2 to 114/7 while chasing 148 against the Netherlands. Max O’Dowd dropped a catch in the penultimate over, and Faheem Ashraf became the hero with three sixes and two fours.India had a disastrous start against the USA and were reeling at 63/4 by the 10th over. Shubham Ranjane got down low but could not hold on to a Suryakumar Yadav catch. Surya went on to score a match-defining 84 off 49 balls.Having earlier reduced England to 57/3, Nepal eventually restricted them to 184/7. During the chase, they were 175/5, needing 10 runs off seven balls. Lokesh Bam was well set on 35 off 15 balls. Over the next four deliveries, Bam scored just three runs and England scraped through after a tight final over from Sam Curran.Scotland, who replaced Bangladesh, had England on the ropes as Tom Banton and Will Jacks occupied the crease in their chase of 153. Things had slowed to near run-a-ball over the previous three overs, and England now needed eight off the final six balls. Jacks then struck a six and a four to take them past the finish line.
United States’ Shubham Ranjane (L) reacts after dropping a catch of India captain Suryakumar Yadav (R) during the T20 World Cup in Mumbai. (AP)
A couple of days later, England were 105/5 in the 13th over against Italy before eventually posting a strong 202. During the chase, Italy surged to 173/7 following 34 runs in two overs. Grant Stewart was set on 44 off 20 balls. The first-timers needed 30 off the last 12 deliveries. Sam Curran then removed Stewart, crushing their hopes.Not as dramatic perhaps, but Afghanistan got past the UAE in the final over, while the Netherlands pushed India despite looking down and out at one stage.Before the India vs Netherlands game, a broadcaster arrogantly parroted the pre-tournament claim that a 300-run total would be breached. Instead, the Men in Blue posted 193/6, restrained by Logan van Beek’s three-wicket haul.The eight Associate teams have made themselves count at this T20 World Cup and have not been the pushovers many expected them to be. The gap, as is repeated every two years, is reducing between the Associates and the Full Member nations.The reason for results going unfavourably for the Associates can be attributed quite simply to the lack of top-level opportunities and the inability to absorb pressure at key moments.
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Until you play matches, you won’t be in those situations. No matter how much net practice you do, how do you come out of tight situations
UAE coach Lalchand Rajput
“Until you play matches, you won’t be in those situations. No matter how much net practice you do, how do you come out of tight situations like 80/5? Or how do you win a match if you need 30 runs in the last two overs? You won’t feel it until you experience it on the ground,” said UAE coach Lalchand Rajput.“The more matches you play against good teams, the more situations you face. You might win only one out of five games, but it builds confidence that the next time you are in the same situation, you will be able to win,” he added.Namibia coach Craig Williams, too, didn’t mince his words and has asked for more matches for the associates, if the ICC wants to make the sport global.“I think it’s not rocket science. If you play more cricket, you’re going to get better. And especially if you play more competitive cricket. So I think all the associate nations are calling out for the same thing. It’s been a number of years since I was playing as well,” he had said ahead of their last match against Pakistan in Colombo.Players, coaches and even administrators have urged the ICC to introduce more fixtures in the next Future Tours Programme.
Italy’s Grant Stewart hits a six during the T20 World Cup cricket match against England in Kolkata. (AP)
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“There should be more matches, and definitely the ICC is working on it. That’s why this T20 World Cup has 20 teams. Hopefully, it will keep growing and more Associates will follow. If we qualify for the World Cup, we should get bigger chances to showcase ourselves,” Rajput said.Canada captain Saad Bin Zafar agreed. “If there is one thing I would like to change, it would be Associate countries getting more opportunities to compete against the best nations because that is the learning ground. That is where you learn,” he said after their loss to Afghanistan.Netherlands all-rounder Bas de Leede used the World Cup stage to remind everyone that his team has no cricket scheduled until June, with their next assignment being a World Cup qualifier.“We’ve shown the level Associate cricket is at right now. We can only ask for more opportunities against big teams because that is ultimately how we are going to improve as a collective,” said De Leede.The challenge of finding space in the calendar and the financial hurdles involved are not lost on those advocating for more matches.“The calendar doesn’t allow more matches with Full Members because Associate countries mostly play among themselves. It is also about TV rights, media and sponsorship, as everyone focuses on the top 10 teams. They have challenges as well. But this World Cup has shown that Associate countries are good enough to receive more funding and play more matches,” Rajput said.De Leede also offered a solution.“I understand the financial reasoning, but maybe a tri-nation series involving two Full Members could be an option. I recently saw a post about a European T20 series involving England, Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Italy,” he said.“We saw how close Italy pushed England. There are a lot of options. Normally during the World Cup, it gets attention and then it fades away,” he added.History, though, does not look promising.After reaching the Super Eight stage and becoming one of the stories of the 2024 T20 World Cup, the USA did not play a single Full Member until this edition came around.The Netherlands, who reached the Super 12 of the 2022 T20 World Cup and shocked South Africa, did not play a single T20I between that day in Adelaide and a match against Nepal 479 days later in February 2024. Their only game against a Full Member in that period came against Ireland in the build-up to the 2024 edition.T20 leagues bridging the gap
USA’s Andries Gous, of Desert Vipers, celebrates after scoring a hundred during Qualifier 1 of the ILT20 match against MI Emirates. (Creimas)
A major reason for improved performances, despite the lack of opportunities at the highest level, can be attributed to the growth of T20 leagues. More leagues mean more demand for players and more platforms for Associate cricketers to showcase their skills. USA wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous underlined this with an unbeaten 120 for Desert Vipers against MI Emirates in the recently concluded ILT20.Curran, who helped keep two Associates at bay, acknowledged that more matches play a role. “The Associate nations are playing more often and getting much better. They are being exposed to better cricket and better grounds,” he said.UAE captain Muhammad Waseem, who plays for MI Emirates in the ILT20, shared dressing rooms with the likes of Rashid Khan, Chris Woakes, Kieron Pollard, Shakib Al Hasan, Jonny Bairstow and Nicholas Pooran ahead of the T20 World Cup.“We’ve learned to improve by playing alongside the best players in leagues. In the same way, if we play Test-playing nations, we will continue to get better. Then, in big tournaments, you will get even more competitive matches,” he told TimesofIndia.com.The presence of experienced heads in the dugout has helped as well.Stuart Law is the head coach of Nepal. Ian Harvey is the bowling consultant. Gary Kirsten is Namibia’s consultant. Rajput brings his wealth of experience from the Indian dressing room to the UAE. Duleep Mendis heads Oman, while Pubudu Dassanayake coaches the USA.Having done all they can on the field, the Associates can only hope they receive more opportunities before the next edition rolls around. Otherwise, the same conversations and pleas will be repeated in Australia and New Zealand.
Mar 26, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell addresses reporters during the NFL annual league meetings at the JW Marriott on Mar 26, 2024. O’Connell fielded questions about roster construction and offseason strategy as Minnesota prepared for the 2024 campaign. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Vikings Kevin O’Connell received a bump in leaguewide prestige Thursday, promoted to the NFL’s Competition Committee, along with Houston Texans skipper DeMeco Ryans. O’Connell enters Year No. 5 in 2026, and it’s time for his seat at the big boy table.
O’Connell’s new committee seat adds clout, but it also keeps him squarely in the spotlight entering a pivotal 2026 season.
Meanwhile, O’Connell enters a pivotal year in Minnesota, one that will determine his long-term job security.
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O’Connell Joins NFL’s Competition Committee for 2026
Good news for O’Connell in a so-far weird offseason.
Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell watches warmups before kickoff against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on Jan 4, 2026. O’Connell surveyed the field as Minnesota prepared for a late-season divisional matchup at home. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
O’Connell Joins Competition Committee
Vikings fans didn’t know that O’Connell was in the running for the committee, so the news caught them off guard Thursday — in a good way.
NBC Sports‘ Josh Alper wrote, “The NFL has added two current head coaches to the league’s Competition Committee. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans are the new additions to the group. Former Bills head coach Sean McDermott is no longer on the 11-person committee.”
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“Broncos head coach Sean Payton and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel also joined the group this year. Former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and former Dolphins General Manager Chris Grier joined McDermott in leaving the group.”
The Vikings now have a voting voice among the key players who call the shots.
What Is the Competition Committee?
Unfamiliar with the committee? NFL.com has answers: “The Competition Committee’s actions are based, in part, on feedback from a variety of sources. At the end of each season, the 32 NFL clubs fill out a survey, answering questions about player protection, officiating, competitive balance and technology.”
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“Leading up to the National Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, NFL Football Operations meets with coaches, general managers, players and NCAA representatives to gather their input about potential changes to the rules. There is also a review of data on injuries, instant replay and technology.”
The group basically determines what gets a vote from all NFL owners — and what gets tabled.
NFL.com added, “After the combine, the committee reconvenes to review video, draft rule proposals and positions, discuss proposals submitted by clubs and prepare its report of supporting statistics for the membership to discuss and vote on at the league’s annual meeting. At the annual meeting, the Competition Committee presents a report of its findings to the 32 owners, who vote on any proposed new rules or rule changes.”
“To be adopted, a new rule or a revision must have the support of 75 percent of the owners (24 yes votes out of 32 clubs). During the season, the committee meets occasionally by conference call or in person to review current issues in the game and to begin to discuss potential agenda items for the next year’s meeting.”
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Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell stands on the sideline prior to facing the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Dec 14, 2025. O’Connell oversaw final preparations as Minnesota traveled south for a regular-season contest. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
O’Connell and committee mates essentially set the agenda for change when applicable.
Committee Members
Believe it not, this is a prestigious development for O’Connell — not just a token honor or lifetime achievement. These are the group’s members:
Rich McKay (Co-Chairman) — Atlanta Falcons
Stephen Jones (Co-Chairman) — Dallas Cowboys
Katie Blackburn — Cincinnati Bengals
Todd Bowles —Tampa Bay Buccaneers
John Lynch — San Francisco 49ers
John Mara — New York Giants
Sean McVay — Los Angeles Rams
Kevin O’Connell — Minnesota Vikings
Sean Payton — Denver Broncos
DeMeco Ryans — Houston Texans
Mike Vrabel — New England Patriots
That’s a who’s who of NFL power before the owners lay down the long arm of the law.
A Big 2026 Ahead for O’Connell
Three weeks ago, the Vikings shockingly fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, while keeping O’Connell employed and appearing to promote O’Connell as a de facto personnel GM. Accordingly, most believe the coach must deliver results in 2026 or risk hot-seat chatter.
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O’Connell’s runway is getting shorter. He has led Minnesota to the playoffs twice in four seasons, a tangible accomplishment. However, a postseason victory remains elusive. The franchise hasn’t experienced one since Kyle Rudolph’s Superdome heroics against the New Orleans Saints six years ago, and the drought is becoming increasingly burdensome.
Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell addresses reporters during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on Feb 25, 2025. O’Connell discussed roster outlook and draft preparation as teams gathered for the annual offseason event. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The mandate for 2026 is clear: solidify the quarterback position — either by fully embracing J.J. McCarthy or providing him with reliable support and competition — achieve at least nine wins, and, most importantly, secure a playoff win. Without that January breakthrough, O’Connell’s margin for error will rapidly shrink.
All that said, the Vikings now have a member of the Competition Committee in the house. O’Connell will now have a say in matters such as banning the Tush Push, clarifying the “Catch Rule,” and expanding instant replay. It will be O’Connell’s job, in part, to decide if the issues deserve a vote.
Minnesota extended O’Connell’s contract in January 2025. He won the league’s Coach of the Year award in 2024.
USA meanwhile have stars of their own, but don’t have the attacking gifts of the Canadians.
“The Tkachuk brothers [Brady and Matthew], and Jack Eichel, that attacking line has worked well together,” Bennett said.
“What they have not had is much scoring from captain Auston Matthews, he has not yet taken any of the games by the horns. They are OK, but not more than that.”
However, the Americans have the best defenceman at the Games in Quinn Hughes, who scored the crucial winner against Sweden.
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“He might be the best three-on-three player in the world,” said Bennett. “He loves to keep possession, and is always looking to make an exciting play.”
It sets up a mouth-watering finale of an Olympic ice hockey competition which has benefitted hugely from the return of National Hockey League (NHL) players for the first time since 2014.
The attendance of players from the top North American league was in doubt for a time over concerns about the ice quality at the unfinished Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, but they have been a major boon for the Games.
“This is the highest level of hockey we have ever seen at an Olympics,” said Bennett. “The NHL players have made it a different world.
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“At the last two Olympics, games have been good but have missed the quality in the final third, the big moments. Players didn’t have the skillset to break a game, so saw a lot of tight, dull games
“Some of what the players have been doing here has been mind-blowing. One of the goals scored for Canada, McDavid saucered this pass from the back door [behind the goal], it lands as McKinnon is shooting, on the half-volley. That’s when you recognise it.
“I have been getting phone calls from people in the hockey world, all they have been saying is, this is so good. There have been periods where Kent [Simpson, BBC co-commentator] and I have just been sat watching, smiling, laughing.”
Canada have won gold in three of the five Olympics when NHL players have featured and will fancy their chances in a game on Sunday which could be as fascinating in the stands as it is on the ice.
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It is highly likely that Canadian prime minister Mark Carney will be in Milan for the game.
Not only is Canada as a country hockey-mad, but so is Carney – when working as governor of the Bank of England, he would play for a recreational team in Haringey, north London.
The big question is whether his American counterpart will also be in Italy.
VANCOUVER – It is hard to remember now, after best-on-best hockey tournaments became as rare as comet visits, but there was a glorious 10-year period spanning this century and the last one when National Hockey League players battled each other in five global summits: three Olympics and two World Cups.
Defenceman Adam Foote was one of just three Canadians who played in all of them.
But the magnitude of representing Canada — and winning our country’s first Olympic gold medals in men’s hockey in 50 years — didn’t become fully clear to Foote until he visited Vancouver with the Colorado Avalanche during an NHL road trip the season after Team Canada’s historic 2002 triumph in Salt Lake City.
“I remember being in Vancouver here, walking on the street to dinner one night,” Foote, the Vancouver Canucks coach, said after Friday’s practice at the University of B.C. “I had a couple guys come up to me. They hated me here; I was the enemy playing for Colorado, right? But I remember they said, ‘Hey, thanks, for the gold.’ I was in shock. It just made me really realize how special it was. They’re all (Canadian) hockey fans, separated when we go play in the NHL. But at that moment, in the Olympics, they’re cheering for all of us. That’s a cool feeling.”
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Foote understands the emotions that will be coursing through the current Canadian Olympians ahead of Sunday morning’s gold-medal game in Milan against Team USA.
“For me, I don’t know, I played Game 7 for the Stanley Cup (in 2001),” the 54-year-old from Toronto said. “It was amazing, it was hard. But it was different for me than the stress of playing for your country. Like, it was for the country. It was for Canadian fans. You’re very lucky and fortunate — and you work hard — to go out and represent your country, and it’s an incredible feeling if you can win it.
“It’s unbelievable what those guys will be feeling going into the gold-medal game. It’s wild.”
Foote is one of the most decorated players of his generation. He won Stanley Cups with the Avalanche in 1996 and 2001, that famous gold medal with Canada at the 2002 Olympics, and another at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He also played at the Olympics in 2006 in Turin and the 1998 Games in Nagano, and was a member of Canada’s team that lost to the United States in the final of the inaugural World Cup in 1996.
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He was 25 years old in that tournament, 34 when his international career ended with Canada’s seventh-place finish in Turin.
The only other Canadians to play in all five best-on-best tournaments were goalie Martin Brodeur and centre Joe Sakic, Foote’s teammate in Colorado.
“When I went to my first World Cup in ‘96 and I was young — I don’t know if I was surprised I was there — but I couldn’t do anything except just sleep and play,” he said. “I would go to practice, go home, sleep, eat, go back to bed. I was just so stressed out mentally. But it was also to prep (for the games). Like, I didn’t want to do anything else. I didn’t want to burn my energy, wouldn’t even go on the phone.
“What was incredible playing for those Team Canadas is how smart the guys are, the players. Like, in the NHL, teams are smart. But it’s at another level (at the Olympics). It’s another level of execution, another level of knowing where to go without the puck, backing each other up. It’s just another level of hockey IQ.
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“You just didn’t want to be the guy that let your country down, you know? I just remember going through my head all the time: hard plays, getting pucks out of the middle, move my feet — just programming yourself constantly so that you’re ready.”
He never had to choose only one, but if Foote could win the Stanley Cup or an Olympic gold medal for Canada, which would it be?
“I don’t know if I can answer that, honestly,” he said. “I mean, the Cup is so bloody hard to win, but it’s a tough question. I want them both just because they’re both so special. And they’re both so different.”
Lloyd Kennewell required only a brief viewing of Eternal Warrior to identify his suitability as an early-maturing type for juvenile majors, and the colt has fulfilled expectations by advancing to the Blue Diamond Stakes.
The fledgling competitor eyes the first Group 1 for two-year-olds in the $2 million Caulfield feature this Saturday.
The 1200-metre contest features no horse with more substantial heritage in Victoria’s flagship juvenile race than Kennewell’s $80,000 Magic Millions Adelaide purchase in partnership with Blueblood Thoroughbreds.
Devout Hero, by No Nay Never, is Eternal Warrior’s dam, and her mother Perfect Persuasion is sibling to 2004 Blue Diamond star Alinghi.
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Sired by Rosemont’s Extreme Warrior, from the first crop and a son of 2016 Blue Diamond winner Extreme Choice, the colt intrigued Kennewell greatly.
“Matty Becker and I do our work together and we thought he was an early two-year-old, hence the reason we were keen to dive in,” Kennewell said.
“We liked him a lot obviously. We thought if he wasn’t the best colt, he was close to it, in Adelaide.
“He’s obviously got a very good pedigree, we’ve had a bit of luck with Extreme Choice and I thought he looked like an Extreme Choice.
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“So we were looking at him as a cheaper version of an Extreme Choice colt.”
On November 29 at Caulfield, Eternal Warrior delivered on promise with a $41 debut success in the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m).
Focus moved to this Saturday after a creditable third in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) on February 7, positioning him ideally according to Kennewell.
Victory in the Prelude belonged to $8 Blue Diamond hope Closer To Free, from $5 runner-up Guest House. The colt is $13 in Diamond books.
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“Normally my horses have had two trials going into a race first-up, but we planned deliberately to only have the one to be peaking for the Grand Final,” Kennewell said.
“His race in the Prelude showed exactly that. Damian (Lane) thought he was going to win when he straightened up and he just blew out the last 100.
“He had the fastest last 800, 600, 400 of the race but just peaked on his run late.
“We were really, really happy and his work on Monday morning was super. Damian came in and galloped him and was really happy with him.
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“We were just wishing we got a lot better draw than what we got dished up.”
Drawing post 16 originally, Eternal Warrior moves to 13 barring entry of the three emergencies, for a full field of 16.
Kennewell banks on barrier experience from wide starts before – 13/13 debut, 8/8 Prelude – to navigate the challenge.
“He’s drawn wide every start, so he’s shown that he can do that and hopefully it will work out for us,” he said.
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Saturday sees Damian Lane retain the partnership, pursuing a breakthrough Blue Diamond Stakes win post last year’s second on Tentyris behind Devil Night.
Secure the best betting sites options ahead of the Blue Diamond Stakes action.
Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) calls signals during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
The Vikings ship took on too much water last year (read: financial commitments). Due to pursuing such an aggressive approach in 2025, Minnesota’s front office is weighing the costs and benefits of each player on the roster.
As for potential cuts, C1 Ryan Kelly rises to the top of the pile. Other players could give back more cap space with a simple cut. But while that’s true, Mr. Kelly could be the easiest decision, as cruel as that sounds. The reasons are multiple.
The Vikings & The Pricey Large Lad at Center
At the end of May in 2026, Ryan Kelly will arrive at his 33rd birthday. That’s borderline ancient in the NFL.
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Even worse is that Kelly is coming off a season where he missed ample time due to injury. Worse yet, the injuries came in the form of three concussions. Chronic wrist injuries, for instance, wouldn’t be nearly so concerning. Bad, yes, but not as compelling a reason to hang up the cleats. Concussions are a completely different type of injury, one that threatens Kelly’s future in a uniquely-scary manner.
Quite possibly, retirement is the best path forward.
J.J. McCarthy and Ryan Kelly move through warmups at U.S. Bank Stadium as Minnesota prepares for Houston, with the session unfolding on Aug. 9, 2025 during early preseason work in Minneapolis. The quarterback-center pairing rotates through stretching and snapping routines while coaches monitor timing and communication, offering a clear look at developing chemistry ahead of the team’s first exhibition game of the summer. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
If Kelly’s desire is to continue his NFL career, then that’s his decision. The decision will then shuffle over to the Vikings to see what the decision is rolling into 2026.
Cutting Kelly would mean recouping $8,347,647. Do remember, folks, that Minnesota is worse than $40 million in debt. At the risk of oversimplifying, consider what the math could look like using just the most simple numbers:
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Vikings Debt: $40,000,000
Vikings Kelly Cut: $8,000,000
Vikings Remaining Debt: $32,000,000
At roughly $32 million in cap debt, the Vikings would still have much to do. Other players appear likely to get shown the door — DT Javon Hargrave, RB Aaron Jones, TE T.J. Hockenson, and others. So, too, will Minnesota consider some extensions (RT Brian O’Neill, LB Blake Cashman, and so on) alongside the restructure candidates (EDGE Jonathan Greenard, WR Justin Jefferson, and so on).
Add up all of the various levers that can get pulled and Minnesota will arrive at having some money to spend.
Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Bringing things back around to Ryan Kelly, though, does point toward a certain outcome: a straightforward cut. Doing so could clear out roughly 20% of the current cap debt (using the rough math up above). For an older player with a concerning injury history, the Vikings appear to be facing an easy decision.
In 2025, Mr. Kelly offered up an excellent 82.2 grade on PFF. The veteran is still capable of playing strong football; injury alongside the broader cap crunch combine to make his roster spot shaky. Any quarterback is fortunate to have Kelly snapping the ball since he’s a rugged, physical center who thinks and communicates the game at a very high level.
Adding him to support J.J. McCarthy — an unproven young fella — made a lot of sense. Does that same need exist with McCarthy gaining at least some experience alongside the apparent desire to add an accomplished vet at QB?
The possibility does exist that Mr. Kelly will arrive at a pay cut so as to allow him continue playing in Minnesota. Quite often, though, the most obvious outcome — a cut — is the outcome that eventually arrives.
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If Minnesota shifts away from Kelly, then the team still has Blake Brandel alongside Michael Jurgens. Neither are as excellent Kelly but they do help to stabilize the o-line’s floor. Brandel offers appeal as a veteran who knows Kevin O’Connell’s scheme well. Jurgens offers appeal as a natural center who is still developing.
If the desire is to raise the ceiling, then free agency is soon to arrive.
Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings guard Blake Brandel (64) blocks for quarterback Sam Darnold (14) against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
Soon enough, the Vikings need to start making some tough decisions. The budget needs to get back into shape before the beginning of the new league year. Keep an eye on Ryan Kelly, an older lineman who could be too pricey to keep.
March 9th is when NFL free agency gets rolling. The team’s finances will get sorted out prior to then.
