Augusto Cesar Lendoiro took charge in 1988 and was the president who oversaw Depor’s glory years, but it was also under his stewardship the club racked up debts that by 2013 totalled more than 160m euros. Administrators insisted Lendoiro resign, or the club face insolvency. He did, but the economic burden remained.

In 2020, Spanish bank Abanca became the club’s majority shareholder. This summer, with head of Abanca Juan Carlos Escotet also becoming club president, Deportivo announced they were finally debt free, 24 years ahead of schedule.

The club also declared a strategic plan based on the pillars of financial consolidation, strengthening the academy, innovation and infrastructure and a “love for this city and its values”.

Benassi says the goal is to be “competitive in the present, but also ensure long-term success and viability”. There is work to do, Deportivo sit 19th in the 22-team second tier after 11 games, but they will not rush the process.

The club are working with Populous, architects of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, to build a new, state-of-the-art training centre while also refurbishing the current complex for the women’s team.

The focus is very much on finding and nurturing the best young talent in the area, collaborating with local schools and academies.

“It is fundamental for us,” says Benassi. “At the moment, almost 25% of players in the first team come from our academy.”

Benassi hopes the facilities and support Depor can provide will help the club retain their best young players. The Riazor, their home by the beach, is on a list of potential stadiums for the 2030 World Cup in Spain.

But there is also the appeal of “Deportivismo”.

“From a young age, the boys learn that Depor is something more than a club,” he explains. “It is a philosophy, it is a family.

“They are born her. That’s why we don’t want to lose the connection with the city, the values of the city, because if we can maintain that, we are sure all the players from here and the academy will always be Depor fans.”

Laken Litman

College Football & Soccer Analyst

AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. women’s national team may have looked a little rusty, but the squad won its first match since its remarkable gold medal run at the Paris Olympics, beating Iceland 3-1 on Thursday night at Q2 Stadium.

Alyssa Thompson, who was not part of the Olympics team this summer, opened the scoring with a banger in the 39th minute. This was the 19-year-old’s 10th cap, but her first-ever international goal, and it was a thing of beauty. Then Jaedyn Shaw, also 19, scored the winning goal when she nutmegged Iceland’s goalkeeper to give the U.S. a 2-1 edge late in the second half. Sophia Smith, part of the now famous Triple Espresso front line, added a third goal for good measure.

Before the scoring frenzy in the final minutes of the match, however, the U.S. struggled to be clinical in front of goal. There were many wasted opportunities in the box, and the group probably wasn’t as cohesive as manager Emma Hayes would have liked. But there are two more opportunities in this window, as the USWNT plays Iceland again on Sunday and then faces Argentina on Wednesday.

“We haven’t played together since the Olympics,” Hayes said. “I thought we looked like a team with players at the back end of a season. I liked our short passing game, I thought we did that well. But that final pass into the final third in the first half wasn’t big enough. And I think when the spaces were there on the outside, we didn’t switch the ball quick enough, but we addressed that at halftime. It’s up to us to inject that urgency into the game. And I thought the players that came from the bench did that.”

Hayes added that the “quality in front of goal” was different in the second half after she made substitutions, which included Shaw and Smith coming off the bench and quickly changing the game.

Additionally, as promised, there were multiple debuts. Hayes was able to sub on Gotham FC forward Yazmeen Ryan in the 66th minute, as well as midfielder Hal Hershfelt, who came on in the 72nd. Hershfelt had been in previous training camps and was an alternate at the Olympics, while this was Ryan’s first call up and first cap.

Here are takeaways from the match:

Play of the game:

The U.S. wasn’t efficient enough in the box for most of the first half. That was, until the 39th minute when Thompson unleashed a rocket shot into the upper netting to put her team up 1-0 before halftime. The teenager received the ball just outside the box, took her defender straight on, cut inside, and hit an unsavable shot. It was her first international goal.

It’s been awhile since Thompson has been with the national team. She made it onto the 2023 World Cup roster, but hasn’t been with the squad for the past 10 months due to form. She’s earned her way back, though, and entered this training camp having scored five goals in her last eight NWSL matches for Angel City. 

“I’ve been watching her since before the Olympics,” Hayes said of Thompson. “I know she’s committed to looking for the next level in her play. I think you see just how threatening she is. I mean, it’s not an easy goal to chop in from the left-hand side and move it into the top corner, but she’s someone who, her international career started at a very early stage, but that’s why I believe it does take time. Maybe she wasn’t ready before.

“But I could see from tonight’s performance, she offers a lot for us going forward and super pleased for her goal and performance.”

Immediately after scoring, Thompson found Smith, who she considers to be a big sister, and jumped into her arms on the sideline while the rest of the team swarmed in celebration. 

“I just froze because that has been a dream of mine for so long, and I couldn’t think of a better way to score,” Thompson said. “I’ve been working on that shot for a while, too. And in club I get to those positions a lot, so being able to have those reps and stuff has been nice.”

Turning point:

Iceland equalized in the 56th minute when Selma Magnúsdóttir’s shot from distance sailed past Alyssa Naeher. But that score line would not last.

In the 84th minute, Shaw received a pinpoint pass from Casey Krueger, took on her defender with some fancy footwork, and poked the game-winning goal through Iceland’s goalkeeper’s legs to put the USWNT up 2-1. Shaw didn’t have the Olympics she envisioned, sitting on the bench the entire Games with a lower body injury. Thursday, she got some redemption in her first match back with the national team, scoring her sixth USWNT goal this calendar year.

“Every single [person] in our locker room is over the moon for Jaedyn Shaw knowing what she experienced in the summer,” Hayes said. “Her ability to create and score goals is second to none in this country.”

Hayes added that the end of the NWSL season is coming at the wrong time for Shaw, who is getting back into form after the injury that derailed her summer plans.

“But she’s a unique talent,” Hayes said. “And her feet are special in those areas. I don’t know too many players who can do what she does. I think she just needs to keep working on her game and stay healthy and keep building on what has been largely a good year for Jaedyn. And at the international level, she’s showing how prolific she is. Wonderful for us to see the depth in our roster in the highest areas, which is fantastic.”

In the 89th minute, Smith put a third goal in from the top of the box to add some cushion.

“Soph is a top player,” Hayes said. “Instantly you see when she came into the game, the way she held the ball, the way she turned the defender, the way she can peel off out wide. 

“Soph is becoming the prolific striker I want her to become. And with the very few chances she got, she delivered into the bottom corner.”

Smith, who didn’t come on until the 72nd minute, has been dealing with an ankle injury since the Olympics and is building back minutes. Hayes said she will likely use Smith “sparingly” the next two games, maybe just off the bench. Usually that kind of thing would be tough for the uber-competitive forward, but she understands and admittedly even agrees with the decision.

“It’s just as important role to come off the bench and change the game,” Smith said. “And I took advantage of that.” 

Key stat:

One of the key messages that Hayes has discussed this week is wanting to broaden the player pool as the USWNT looks forward to the 2027 World Cup. She called up 26 players, six of whom were uncapped, 14 of whom have fewer than 20 caps, and 21 of whom are under the age of 30.

Thompson and Shaw are both 19 and are perfect examples of what the future of this team will look like.

What’s next for the USWNT?

It’s a tight turnaround for the USWNT. The team will play Iceland again on Sunday in Nashville and then travel to Louisville where it will face Argentina on Wednesday. Hayes is expected to roll out a different lineup for each of those games, with no player playing in more than two full matches, she said earlier this week. The purpose of this is so that Hayes and her staff can get quality looks at a larger group of players with the hope of expanding the talent pool as the team turns its focus toward the 2027 World Cup.

The U.S. will also continue celebrating its Olympics success over the next several days with fans, while also toasting Kelley O’Hara’s retirement, and honoring both Mallory Swanson and Rose Lavelle for reaching 100 caps.

Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.

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Luka Dončić had 28 points and 10 rebounds, Klay Thompson added 22 points in his Dallas debut and the Mavericks beat the San Antonio Spurs 120-109 in the opener for both teams Thursday night.

Kyrie Irving had 15 points for the defending Western Conference champions, who got eight assists from Doncic and seven rebounds from Thompson.

Victor Wembanyama shot just 5 of 18 from the field for 17 points to open the young French phenom’s second year with the Spurs. Jeremy Sochan and Julian Champagnie scored 18 apiece.

Takeaways

Spurs: Thompson’s first game with the Mavericks was the headliner, but Chris Paul’s San Antonio debut to start his 20th season was an important moment for the Spurs in the growth of a young team seeking to end a five-season playoff drought. The offense looked rough, and Paul’s only points came on a 3 in the third quarter. But the point guard’s long-term value showed with eight assists and seven rebounds.

Mavericks: Dallas has been talking defense with the star offensive trio of Doncic, Irving and Thompson. There was a brief display in the third quarter with three consecutive San Antonio turnovers. Thompson had the first steal, Irving the next two. Dallas scored just two points, though.

Key moment

The Mavericks took their biggest lead to that point at 69-55 in the third quarter when Doncic was in heavy traffic under the basket and threw a blind pass over his head to P.J. Washington Jr. for an open 3.

Key stat

Dallas pulled away by warming up significantly from long range in the second half. The Mavs were 13 of 18 on 3s after the break after finishing the first half 6 of 23.

Up next

The Spurs play the first of consecutive home games against Houston on Saturday. The Mavericks play their road opener Saturday at Phoenix.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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John Fanta

College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter

NEW YORK — While college football forges on across the country, continuing to set record-breaking TV ratings week after week, a record number of media members were in attendance at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday morning at Big East Basketball Media Day. 

Ahh, the Big East. The league that makes any college hoops lover crack a smile. A conference born in 1979 that has stood the test of time. Even when breakups happen, the conference has been able to not just survive, but thrive, accounting for four of the last eight men’s college basketball national championships. 

If the walls at the world-famous MSG could have talked on Wednesday, they would have told the stories of Chris Mullin and Patrick Ewing, Pearl Washington, Kemba Walker and, most recently, the likes of Donovan Clingan, Tristan Newton, Jalen Brunson and Kris Jenkins. As the coaches stood at center court for a group photo featuring a Hall of Famer in Rick Pitino, a future Hall of Famer in Dan Hurley, as well as coaches who have etched their names in history with memorable March runs, like Thad Matta, Sean Miller, Shaka Smart, Greg McDermott and Shaheen Holloway, we were all reminded what the Big East is all about: college basketball. 

There’s truly no comparison for this league in the college sports landscape. You have northeast hatred with just how badly these teams want to beat one another, but on the same hand, there is a true mutual respect and desire for them to beat out-of-conference opponents in March, to prove the league’s dominance. You have an outspoken social media community that provides nonstop conversation and frivolity. You have the longest running conference tournament at any single venue when the Big East Tournament hits MSG in March for the 43rd consecutive year. 

But all of that is supplemental to the biggest point of them all: national championships. When this league shows up to the dinner table, it brings the porterhouse steak with lobster tails in the form of four national titles since 2016. The conference backs up all of its pageantry and elite coaching with wins during the time of year when it matters most.

That starts with Dan Hurley and the monster he has built at UConn. The Huskies are 43-3 in their last 46 games with a 12-game NCAA Tournament winning streak by a combined 260 points. Last year, they posted as dominant of a season as we have seen in recent memory, winning six March Madness games by an average of over 23 points. What Hurley has accomplished in Storrs, Conneticut is frankly unbelievable, and UConn’s bid at a three-peat is quite realistic.

In the last decade, Jay Wright built a dynasty on the Main Line at Villanova and his titles in 2016 and 2018 got the new-look Big East (circa 2013-14) to the grand stage in the sport, solidifying that this league would be able to march on. Now, third-year head coach Kyle Neptune is trying to get the Wildcats back to the NCAA Tournament in what is a critical season after they’ve missed the Big Dance the last two years. 

And that illustrates what this year is all about in the Big East: accumulating non-conference results in November and December. While many casual fans don’t follow college hoops until football is done, you get a pretty good idea how many tournament slots each conference is getting by Christmas. Why? Because at that point in conference play, you’re beating up on one another. 

Last year, the Big East had three Sweet 16 teams in UConn, Creighton and Marquette, but those were the only three that made the Big Dance. Disappointment? Selection committee errors? Regardless, the league has to silence the “should we have been in?” talk with results early in the season to compile a résumé that says 5–7 teams should make the tournament.

“We think the Big East is primed to remain a college basketball powerhouse, even as the terrain beneath us keeps shifting,” 12th-year commissioner Val Ackerman said on Wednesday. 

With national titles, sellout crowds, and some of the biggest characters in the sport, you can’t tell the story of college hoops without the Big East. And because of that, they’re as good a testament as any that basketball still carries weight of its own in the football-driven world. 

Here are five other takeaways from Big East Men’s Basketball Media Day:

Rick Pitino holds nothing back about the new landscape

After a first season that saw his Johnnies win six of their final seven games to get into the bubble conversation but fall just short of the NCAA Tournament, Pitino and his staff hit the transfer portal hard and reeled in the No. 4 class in the country, according to 247Sports.com. St. John’s brought in Seton Hall transfer Kadary Richmond and Deivon Smith from Utah, and are returning RJ Luis, Simeon Wilcher, Zuby Ejiofor and Brady Dunlap. With that, the Red Storm are poised for a big season and hovering right around the edge of the preseason top 25. 

As for how Pitino views the current college basketball landscape with over 1,500 transfers this past offseason and NIL dollars driving the bus, he’s totally fine with it.

“I’m a big proponent of NIL. We’ve been paid millions of dollars through the years and players got nothing, and I think that’s totally unfair,” Pitino said. “We’ve been able to move, they’ve been unable to move. 

“Back when I first started coaching, there were a lot of programs running NIL when NIL was not legal. I like the fact that it’s all legal now. They are professional athletes that are being treated like professional athletes who are getting an education. That’s the ball game. That doesn’t bother me at all. That’s the way it is. I’ll go out and raise money.”

Ryan Kalkbrenner trying to do something only Patrick Ewing has done

Creighton fifth-year senior Ryan Kalkbrenner can join the Georgetown G.O.A.T. this season if he is named Big East Defensive Player of the Year for a fourth time, something only Ewing can say he’s done. Kalkbrenner, a FOX Sports Preseason First-Team All-American, averaged 17.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and a whopping 3.1 blocks (second in country) per game last season. His head coach, Greg McDermott, said that Kalkbrenner deserves more national attention. 

“As you look back to last year and the draft boards after the season, Donovan Clingan is a terrific, terrific basketball player. But is Ryan that much different?” McDermott asked. “He’s going to be looked upon as one of the better centers to ever play in the Big East. The best is yet to come for Ryan Kalkbrenner.” 

Sean Miller and Xavier look the part of a Sweet 16 team

Last year was an absolute rarity for Xavier, finishing the season with a 16-18 mark and missing out on the Big Dance. The Musketeers, who were dealt a terrible card with injuries, had not had a losing season since 1996. That ate at 20th-year head coach Sean Miller, who has won over 71% of the games he’s coached.

The Musketeers cleaned up with one of the best transfer portal classes in the country, bringing in Ryan Conwell (Indiana State), John Hugley (Oklahoma), Marcus Foster (Furman) and others. With Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter finally healthy and ready to make an impact, the Musketeers will have veterans across the board. Dayvion McKnight, who led the Big East in assist-to-turnover ratio last season, is also set to return and should serve as the main ball-handler alongside Conwell. 

“You think about it, and he and [Tyler] Kolek, now of the Knicks, were at the top of assist-to-turnover ratio last season,” Miller said of McKnight. “To be able to have that experience back and a starting point guard back, Dayvion knows what to expect. He had an excellent offseason and can be an All-Big East performer. 

“As for Ryan Conwell, he can really play. If you were a college basketball fan last year, it was hard to ignore Indiana State, who made it to the final of the NIT against Seton Hall. They won 30 games for a reason. His ability to make 3s at a high rate and be efficient is special. He really lets the game come to him and I appreciate that so much. He’s a great playmaker and has a really bright future. I’m excited for him to play on our stage, the Big East stage. A lot of people will get to know him this year and deservedly so.”

Kam Jones sets aim on authoring an All-American season and leading Marquette back to the Big Dance

Coming off the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance in over a decade, the Golden Eagles lost Kolek and Oso Ighodaro, but are still a preseason top-20 team. That’s a testament to what Shaka Smart, who has won 56 games over the last two seasons, including a Big East regular-season and tournament title, has built in Milwaukee. 

The headliner this season is FOX Sports Preseason Third-Team All-American Kam Jones, who averaged 17.2 points per game last year. Smart unveiled Wednesday that Jones, who averaged 2.4 assists per contest last season, is going to do a lot more than just score this season.

“I’m going to give you guys something that nobody really knows: he’s a better passer than you think,” Smart said of Jones. “You’re going to see this year a really dynamic playmaker in Kam Jones. Remember, Tyler [Kolek] was out for some time at the end of last season, and we got to see it. Kam had 30 points and nine assists at Xavier and that gave you a sense that he could score and distribute at the same time. You will see a guy who will be one of the best guards in college basketball.”

Doubt the Pirates at your own risk

Last year, Seton Hall was picked to finish ninth in the Big East preseason poll. The Pirates proceeded to beat UConn and Marquette and go 13-7 in the league with a top-four finish. This season? The coaches hold The Hall in even lower regard, picking them 10th in the league. 

Yes, the Pirates only return two impactful players in fifth-year senior Dylan Addae-Wusu and sophomore Isaiah Coleman. But Shaheen Holloway has won 42 games in his first two years on the job with the Pirates, the most by a coach in his first two years in program history. He also led Saint Peter’s to the Elite Eight in 2022. Doesn’t he deserve a bit more respect? 

“It is what it is. People got time to sit around and pick other people’s teams. It’s kind of nuts,” Holloway said. “I’m not worried about nobody else. You know me, I don’t really care if we’re picked first or last. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s preseason. I just care about my team. 

“You know me, you know my teams, we get better as the year goes on. So, right now, I’m not happy where we are, but I think we’re going to be really good. I think we have a chance.”

The Pirates brought in length and versatility in the form of Ohio State transfer Scotty Middleton, Boston College transfer Prince Aligbe, and a quality mid-major guard in Chaunce Jenkins (Old Dominion). And don’t sleep on Providence transfer Garwey Dual. The reigning NIT champions have a coach and motivated pieces in place to prove doubters wrong again.

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.

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Larne boss Tiernan Lynch was left “disappointed and frustrated” after watching his team slip to a 4-1 defeat by Shamrock Rovers in their Uefa Conference League game at Windsor Park.

Josh Honohan put the League of Ireland champions in front after just three minutes and Johnny Kenny doubled the lead before a Tomas Cosgrove own goal made it 3-0.

Chris Gallagher netted early in the second half to give Larne hope, before the impressive Graham Burke sealed a comfortable win for the Dubliners.

“I’m disappointed and frustrated – we conceded really stupid goals at really bad times,” said Lynch.

“We got hit by a sucker-punch very early. The one thing you can’t do is let Rovers get into a rhythm and we got punished for that.”

It was a harsh lesson for Larne, who are the first team from Northern Ireland to qualify for the league stage of a European competition.

“We knew how good a team Rovers are and how many good individuals they have,” Lynch said.

“We just didn’t do the things that we worked so hard to make sure we carried out and got punished badly.”