Earlier in the day, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell explained that J.J. McCarthy was going to take the day off. Doing so is meant to ensure the kid can get back to full health prior to the Vikings’ final preseason game.

Truth be told, Minnesota’s intent as it relates to trading McCarthy is a mystery. Many boast strong opinions but very few (if any) know how this is going to play out. What’s also true, however, is that Minnesota is working through the trade playbook by refusing to firmly shutdown a lot of the chatter surrounding the third-year passer who has spent more time in the infirmary than the gridiron.

The Vikings May or May Not Trade J.J. McCarthy

To begin, the Vikings have done the single most important thing when it comes to moving on from McCarthy: finding an upside, enticing replacement.

Adding Kyler Murray means having a new starting quarterback. No longer is that mere speculation or best guesses. Rather, the reality is a certainty so long as health cooperates. Keep in mind that Murray is still only 29, meaning he’s got several years of football ahead of him. Seeing him form a connection with Justin Jefferson would mean that Murray is the man for both today and tomorrow.

The other part of the mix is that Minnesota is seemingly entertaining the possibility of elevating Carson Wentz into that QB2 job.

On Monday, FOX9’s Ahmad Hicks sent the following observation: “Here’s a little bit of J.J. McCarthy from practice today after he sustained an ankle injury in Saturday’s preseason game vs. the Ravens. He didn’t take all the second team reps, but he was on the field and in the mix.”

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert sent the following observation: “In a relatively brief Vikings practice (80 minutes) today, J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz split second-team reps.”

On Wednesday, Kevin O’Connell explained the following: “Just with J.J., we’re going to give him a rest day today just to see if we can kind of put the ankle behind him a little bit. He’s gotten some work, we kind of split the reps yesterday just to not overload him.”

Elsewhere in the same presser, O’Connell explained that Minnesota’s desire is to see McCarthy start the upcoming Broncos game.

If, in theory, Wentz plays noticeably and decisively better in practice and in the upcoming game, can the Vikings go back to McCarthy? Right now, the noise surrounding Minnesota’s situation has been loud. Can Minnesota keep working through all of the questions and speculation?

To my eye, McCarthy’s confidence has waned. He doesn’t lack for talent. Nor, for that matter, does he lack for a work ethic or resources. Despite that nice cocktail — normally, talent and a work ethic combines for good football — the Vikings haven’t seen the growth that everybody has desired.

Why is that the case? Confidence, perhaps.

Later in the same presser, O’Connell sidestepped a question about who was going to be the QB2 for the Week 1 Green Bay game. “I think to me,” O’Connell began, “it’s making an assessment on what we think is best for the team.” Roughly two years ago, O’Connell proclaimed McCarthy the franchise passer; at present, O’Connell won’t definitively commit to him as the QB2.

Seeing current on-field competence function as the sole criteria could reasonably involve Wentz being the top backup. In that scenario, the Vikings would be wise to move on.

J.J. McCarthy, 23, would likely demand a Day 3 pick(s) on the NFL’s trade market.

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

Gonzalez had a close relationship with Rodri and long humbly recognised that only a select number of players can start in his position at clubs bidding to challenge for the biggest honours.

Rodri was that man at Manchester City under Guardiola and, following the midfielder’s move to Barcelona, new manager Enzo Maresca has signed Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, having already brought in Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

The club also look set to make a bid for Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez.

It was still not easy for Gonzalez to leave Manchester City, where he felt settled, but Newcastle will give him the platform he has been longing for as a key player.

The enthusiastic Spaniard sees this as an opportunity to develop further, which has always been a driver.

“His mentality is top,” Toure said. “I would review games individually with the players and every time I had my laptop and sat next to him, he was so open to learning.

“He wanted me to show him and I wanted to help him because he was demanding in that way.

“You want to have players like this because they want to see what they do well and not well, and are open to criticism.

“He’s going to keep on improving because of his mentality.”

Gonzalez certainly did so when he left Barcelona, where his professional career started, and has such experience to fall back on.

Having spent a decade at Barca, and risen through the ranks, Gonzalez ultimately had to depart to truly flourish elsewhere.

Following a successful loan spell at Valencia, he joined Porto on a permanent basis at the age of 21 before earning a move to Manchester City.

Former Barcelona B team-mate Roger Riera feels he has developed “another vision” as a result.

“Nico has seen different countries and different styles of football,” he said. “He’s added a lot of things to his game, which have made him a more complete player.

“He is a better package now.”

UEFA is “likely” to withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA tournaments as the two conditions it was seeking from world football’s governing body following president Gianni Infantino’s failed attempt to sell off stakes in the World Cup have been met, a source told AFP on Wednesday. Infantino, 56, has come under increasing pressure to step down as president over his now-abandoned plan to secure private investment in FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup. UEFA, led by their president Aleksander Ceferin, had described the proposal in scathing terms, labelling it a “shady, opaque backroom deal”.

Despite Infantino withdrawing the plan only days after its launch, UEFA had said they were still not content and their threat to boycott FIFA events remained in place.

They said their demand that the plan be shelved had been met, but that they had not received assurances “that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again”.

However, with UEFA’s national associations meeting in Monaco on Thursday ahead of the draws for the Champions League and other club competitions, it appears that European football’s governing body is happy the second one has been settled satisfactorily.   

“Yes it is likely,” the source told AFP on Wednesday, regarding the possibility of dropping the boycott threat.

“I think the reassurance we sought has been received so it fulfils the second of the two criteria we set.”

A second source told AFP that the boycott threat — which had been seen as pivotal in forcing Infantino’s humiliating U-turn — had to be dealt with urgently given that the Under-20 Women’s World Cup is being held in Poland from September 5 to 27.

That is of particular importance given the potential for it to undermine UEFA’s united front in wanting Infantino to quit.

Infantino is seeking a fourth and final term when FIFA holds its presidential election in the Moroccan capital Rabat next March.

Previously, he was likely to be unopposed, but since the private financing scandal, a raft of member associations have withdrawn their support for him.

Italy became the latest to do so earlier on Wednesday.

The deadline for candidates to declare is November 18.

Ceferin has confirmed that he will not stand, while CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is regarded as the likeliest challenger.

“It is 10 days until the start of the Under-20 Women’s World Cup,” said the second source.

“It is complicated to maintain a unanimous position among the 55 (UEFA members) in these circumstances.

“In fact, there is a real risk of splitting the anti-Infantino bloc.”

A third source questioned whether the boycott threat was that effective. 

“The initial boycott threats were not sufficient to force Infantino to leave,” the third source said.

Of the upcoming tournament in Poland, the same source added: “It is not just about sparing the host country, but also because major European nations like France, England and Spain have already more or less confirmed they are taking part.”

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Spain’s World Cup Champions Celebrate Wildly At Cibeles Square

Premier League clubs Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal all feature in pot one alongside back-to-back Champions League winners Paris St-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

Aston Villa and Manchester United both return to the Champions League this season after not featuring last term. They are in pot two with Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting, Porto, Club Brugge, Real Betis and PSV Eindhoven.

Pot three consists of Feyenoord, Lille, Bodo/Glimt, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce.

Slavia Prague, VfB Stuttgart, Lask, Como, Lens, Sabah, AEK Athens, Slovan Bratislava and Viking make up pot four.

Venus Williams (L) and Serena Williams© AFP

A big welcome from the fans at the start. A stoppage-time winner at the end.

For Enzo Maresca, it was the “perfect day” as he earned his first victory as Manchester City manager.

City produced a stirring late rally in Maresca’s first Premier League game in charge, scoring twice in the final 10 minutes to grab a 2-1 win at home to Bournemouth on Sunday.

Josko Gvardiol placed a finish into the bottom corner in the first minute of added-on time for the winner, which was initially given offside before being awarded following a video review. Marc Guehi had equalized with a 84th-minute header from a corner to start the comeback.

Maresca, the successor to Pep Guardiola, punched the air when Gvardiol’s goal was awarded and went onto the field after the final whistle to hug his players.

A huge banner, reading “Welcome back Enzo,” had been held aloft by City fans as the Italian – Guardiola’s assistant in City’s treble-winning 2022-23 season – emerged from the tunnel before kickoff 
Wearing a sharp black suit, Maresca certainly looked the part on the touchline but the slickness synonymous with City’s play under Guardiola down the years wasn’t quite there until the late comeback sparked by substitute Rayan Cherki, who set up both goals.

“It is the perfect day, to be honest,” Maresca said. “I was very pleased when the game started to see the banner on the other side. And I was pleased because we give them the joy of the three points.

“It was quite emotional and the perfect day.” 
Maresca throws curveball with Guehi in midfield 
Maresca began his time as Guardiola’s replacement with a 3-0 loss to Arsenal in the Community Shield last weekend and has had to deal with the departure of star midfielder Rodri to Barcelona.

City might have found a long-term replacement for Rodri in 18-year-old Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi, who is set to join from Lille for 100 million euros ($117 million) according to French media, but Maresca opted against Bournemouth to deploy Guehi – a center back – as a holding midfielder instead.

It was a contentious decision given there were other midfield options on the bench, and it might prove to be a one-off, but Guehi grew into the role.

City striker Erling Haaland wasn’t on the scoresheet in the first league game of the season for the first time since joining the club in 2022. He sported a new hairstyle – a buzz cut that went viral on social media ahead of kickoff – and wasted a couple of great chances to score with it.

Szoboszlai’s late equalizer for Liverpool at Newcastle after Keegan tribute 
Dominik Szoboszlai converted a penalty in the ninth minute of stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 draw for Liverpool at Newcastle in a match overseen by two new managers.

Before kickoff, the teams united to pay tribute to Kevin Keegan – a star player for both clubs – following his death last month at age 75. Players from Newcastle and Liverpool wore shirts with “Keegan” and the number 7 on the back in the warmup at St. James’ Park, while there was a mosaic in the center circle, a tribute video and a huge tifo in the stands dedicated to the former England star.

Szoboszlai smashed an unstoppable spot kick into the top corner after debutant Victor Munoz was fouled in the area in a dramatic finish. There was a 3 1/2-minute wait for a video review of the decision.

“I really hit it good,” the Hungary captain said. “I love the pressure.” 
Joe Willock looked to have scored a 57th-minute winner for Newcastle, one minute after coming on as a substitute and two minutes after Cody Gakpo had equalized for Liverpool. Anthony Elanga put Newcastle ahead in the fifth minute.

Liverpool striker Alexander Isak was jeered by Newcastle fans when he came off the team coach and then every time he touched the ball, a hangover from his switch of clubs at the start of last season.

Matthias Jaissle was taking charge of Newcastle for first time, while Andoni Iraola is Liverpool’s new manager as Arne Slot’s replacement.

Brighton destroys Villa 
Brighton scored four goals in the opening 31 minutes and also missed a slew of great chances in a 4-0 hammering of Aston Villa in the other early game.

To make matters worse for Villa, Joao Gomes was sent off for kicking out at Brighton’s Georginio Rutter in the 40th but the visitors somehow didn’t concede any more goals.

It has been a tough offseason for Villa, with key players Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Ezri Konsa leaving and speculation surrounding the future of Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez at the club.

Brighton was sharper, having been in European qualifying action in midweek.

Fan dies 
A Brighton fan died after falling ill as he was leaving the Amex stadium following the win over Villa.

The 72-year-old man became unwell as he was leaving to board a supporters’ club bus.

Brighton said that, despite the best efforts of emergency services and club staff, the medical team could not save him.

Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said “we are all shocked and saddened by the loss of one of our supporters.

Liverpool will play Tottenham in the third round of the Carabao Cup while Coventry City host Aston Villa in a Midlands derby and Chelsea could host Leeds United should they defeat Luton tomorrow night.

Premier League champions Arsenal will travel to Ipswich and Manchester United face Brighton, who knocked the Red Devils out of last season’s FA Cup at Old Trafford. Everton host Wolves and Newcastle face a tricky visit to Millwall, while Sunderland host Hull in another all-Premier League tie.

Holders Manchester City are home to Norwich and Bournemouth and Crystal Palace also host Championship opposition with respective ties against Lincoln and Middlesbrough, while West Ham will welcome either Fulham or AFC Wimbledon.

West Ham will be at home to the winners of Fulham or Wimbledon, Brentford make the short trip to Reading, while the remaining ties see Sheffield United at Fleetwood, Leyton Orient at home to Bradford and Peterborough meeting Barnsley.

The two remaining ties, between Chelsea and Luton and Fulham and AFC Wimbledon, will take place on Thursday night. The third-round fixtures will be held across the weeks commencing 7 September and 14 September.

The five Premier League clubs playing in this season’s Champions League will be in action in the second week due to their European commitments. The eight teams involved in the Champions League and Europa League could not play each other in the third round.

Follow all live updates from tonight’s ties below:

Carabao Cup third round draw in full

Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough

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Manchester United v Brighton

Manchester City v Norwich

Fleetwood v Sheffield United

West Ham v Fulham/AFC Wimbledon

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Read more

Mike Jones26 August 2026 22:23

Johnson growing in confidence at Everton

Brennan Johnson’s swap move to Everton was one of the more unusual transfer stories of the summer but it looks as though he’s settling at the club.

He recorded a goal and an assist tonight.

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Speaking after the game he touched on his own performance saying: “It meant a lot.

“It’s been a little while, a bit longer than I wanted but when I came here I wanted to make sure I do everything right to give myself a chance to start bright and yeah… perfect game, buzzing for the big man [Thierno Barry] but I’m also really happy to score myself.

“When I came here, all the lads were so good with me, made me feel really welcome and I think it helps to play with confidence on the pitch, so big shoutout to the boys. I feel comfortable already and I’m loving life.”

Mike Jones26 August 2026 22:44

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Reaction from Thierno Barry after scoring his hat-trick

After scoring a hat-trick against Preston, Thierno Barry spoke to Sky Sports.

He said: “I say this season needs to be mine. I try a lot this summer for that so I’m very happy to score my first hat-trick with Everton.

“I work a lot for that, I’m very happy, my team-mates helped me a lot also.”

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Mike Jones26 August 2026 22:39

Other ties to watch out for

Ispwich Town are hosting the Premier League champions which will be an fantastic night at Portman Road whenever that match takes place.

There’s also a midlands derby as Coventry take on Aston Villa. That’s also an all-Premier League tie and could be interesting if Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues can find their footing in the top-flight before that fixture rolls around.

Over in the North East, Sunderland are set for an intriguing meeting with Hull City. Hull defeated Man Utd in their first game of the season so can they carry that confidence into the league cup as well?

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Mike Jones26 August 2026 22:33

When will the Carabao Cup third round be played?

The third round of the Carabao Cup is scheduled to take place across consecutive weeks, starting on 7 September and 14 September.

The ties will be played midweek as single-leg fixtures with the winners progressing to the fourth round.

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Teams involved in the Champions League and Europa League will play their matches in weeks that avoid the European competitions.

Mike Jones26 August 2026 22:29

Interesting third round ties

There are some interesting ties coming up in the third round.

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The big one is probably the all-Premier League clash between Liverpool and Tottenham at Anfield.

Chelsea, should they beat Luton tomorrow, will play Leeds which has the potential to be spicy as well.

Michael Carrick also has a tough task on his hands as he attempts to mastermind a Manchester United victory against Brighton.

Mike Jones26 August 2026 22:25

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Carabao Cup third round draw

Reading will face Brentford.

Peterborough United host Barnsley.

Finally, West Ham will take on Fulham or AFC Wimbledon.

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Mike Jones26 August 2026 22:21

Carabao Cup third round draw

Fleetwood Town will play Sheffield United.

Everton are drawn against Wolves.

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Leyton Orient are at home against Bradford City.

Mike Jones26 August 2026 22:20

Carabao Cup third round draw

Chelsea of Luton face Leeds United.

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Millwall take on Newcastle.

Mike Jones26 August 2026 22:19

Carabao Cup third round draw

Coventry City are drawn against Aston Villa.

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Bournemouth take on Lincoln.

Liverpool will face Tottenham!

Mike Jones26 August 2026 22:18

Crowd favorites Alex Eala (left) and Felix Auger-Aliassime discuss strategy before the start of a point. —PHOTO BY KEATS LONDON

Alex Eala was looking forward to playing as many doubles matches with Felix Auger-Aliassime in the US Open.

“The US Open is a very electric place to play doubles, and I think mixed doubles especially, with the lineups that there are, is going to be very interesting and a really great opportunity for me,” the 21-year-old Filipino superstar said.

She got the atmosphere, alright. But she’ll have to wait a bit longer until the singles event before experiencing that again.

The husband-and-wife duo of Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils defeated Eala and Auger-Aliassime, 4-1, 4-1, late Tuesday evening (Manila time) in the first round of the mixed doubles event at the Flushing Meadows’ Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.

Monfils and Svitolina needed just 15 minutes to pull ahead by a set before Eala and Auger-Aliassime, fueled by the loud support coming from a predominantly pro-Filipino crowd, showed a lot of fight early in the second set.

But Monfils, who is playing in his final US Open before he retires at the end of the season, and Svitolina pulled away to ice the victory.

The Filipino-Canadian duo was just among the big pairs that crashed out, which included women’s world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. Men’s star Carlos Alcaraz, who teamed up with Serena Williams, also crashed out.

The early exit now leaves Eala and Auger-Aliassime to focus on the singles event that kicks off over the weekend. And almost everyone expects the “Eala Effect” to pack the courts.

Former US Davis Cup team captain and current tennis broadcaster Patrick McEnroe urged the United States Tennis Association to make sure Eala gets to play at the Flushing Meadows’ biggest courts if only to capitalize on her ability to draw crowds—mostly from Filipino communities—to her matches.

“The USTA better make sure they put her on big courts,” he told ESPN. “In New York, I think the crowd is going to be wild for her. It’s going to be a great story. Better make sure they don’t put her on one of those side courts early in the tournament.”

The Australian Open, the other hardcourt Grand Slam, came under some fire earlier in the year after failing to recognize Eala’s popularity and slotting her opening match against Alycia Parks on a smaller court.

Queens has a strong Filipino community, and part of it, particularly Woodside, which is about five kilometers away from the Flushing Meadows, is known as Little Manila. Aside from being home to many immigrants from the Philippines, Woodside also has numerous Filipino businesses such as restaurants and commercial centers.

“Filipinos come from everywhere, not just the Flushing, New York area,” Keats London, a Filipino photographer based in New Jersey, told the Inquirer. London has been covering Eala’s New York matches ever since the world No. 18 began competing at the US Open.

“Last year, I spoke to an OFW who came all the way from Hong Kong. She spent her hard-earned money to fly to New York and watch Alex play. She did not regret having spent the money even though Alex lost her match that day,” recounted London, who brought his daughter Eula to the Flushing Meadows to enjoy “Fan Week” at the Open.

“I look forward to this event every year,” he added. “I find that the Filipinos that I talked to are very receptive and quite proud seeing a pure, Philippine-born and raised athlete like Alex rise to the occasion, particularly with Alex starting from the junior girls [division] and even winning the junior girls crown a few years ago.”

—INQUIRER SPORTS DESK INQ

###—###

#Byline2

@ftjochoaINQ

Teofimo Lopez became a three-division world champion when he overcame Rolando Romero last weekend to capture the WBA welterweight title, and well-regarded trainer, commentator and fight analyst Teddy Atlas has publicly declared his disapproval of the scoring in the contest.

Romero had not fought since winning the vacant belt against Ryan Garcia last May and thus stepped through the ropes off the back of 15 months of inactivity when tasked with Lopez in Las Vegas.

That ring rust may have proved decisive on the night, as Lopez claimed a majority-decision victory to become a world champion in a third weight class. Although most observers felt Lopez deserved a comfortable unanimous decision, Romero surprisingly believed he had done enough to retain his title.

On his YouTube channel, The Fight with Teddy Atlas, the former Mike Tyson coach dismissed any suggestion that Romero deserved the win, instead praising judge Tim Cheatham, who scored the bout 116-112 in favour of the challenger.

“When I think that something is wrong, I call it out, even to my detriment on my own network I say, ‘we did this wrong, we didn’t put a good fight on, we overhyped this guy or this judge was terrible,’. 

“I have often gone after Tim Cheatham, I have gone after him many times and, I think, rightfully so – and this time I am going to applaud him, I am going to lift him up, he got it right. He is my new idol!”

Continuing, Atlas then went on to declare that, if he were in charge, he would be having a stern word with judge Glenn Feldman, whose scorecard read as a 114-114 draw, believing that Feldman should have his licence taken away.

“I would call him [Feldman] in on Monday morning and say, ‘come into my office, we are going to watch the fight and you are going to explain [how this fight was a draw] to me, before I take your licence away, before I sit you down, before I suspend you,’.

“If you drive bad, if you crash your car, your licence gets taken away.”

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Lopez is now eyeing up a unification clash with WBC titleholder Ryan Garcia if he comes through Conor Benn unscathed in two weeks, but it remains to be seen whether ‘The Takeover’ will first be made to defend his title against supposed mandatory challenger, Jack Catterall.