Two red cards, a VAR overturn and a decisive converted penalty with the last kick of the game. All of that happened in the final seconds of a Champions League thriller between Atalanta and Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday- and it ultimately ensured there will still be Italian representation in Europe’s top club competition.
Atalanta advanced to the round of 16 by capping an unlikely turnaround when Lazar Samardzic curled a penalty into the top corner in the eighth minute of stoppage time to clinch a 4-1 win on the night and a 4-3 victory on aggregate.
Dortmund, the runner-up in 2024, had arrived with a 2-0 lead from the first leg.
Advertisement
“Everyone had written us off,” said Davide Zappacosta, one of Atalanta’s scorers, “but … we always believe and we never give up.”
Still, Atalanta needed a helping hand.
Extra time was looming when a mistake by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel allowed Atalanta to launch one last attack, after the allotted three minutes of stoppage time had been played.
A cross into the area was about to reach Nikola Krstovic for a simple header into an empty net when Dortmund defender Remy Bensabaini flicked out his boot and caught the Atalanta substitute on the top of his head, drawing blood.
A corner was initially given but after a VAR check, a penalty was awarded, unused Dortmund substitute Nico Schlotterbeck was shown a red card on the bench for complaining, Bensabaini was shown a second yellow card for his foul, and Samardzic dispatched his spot kick, sparking joyous scenes inside the stadium in Bergamo.
Advertisement
The referee blew for full time before Dortmund could restart the match.
“It’s an unforgettable night,” Atalanta coach Raffaele Palladino said, “a dream come true.”
Italy’s record of having at least one team in the round of 16 since that stage was reintroduced to the Champions League in 2003-04 was under threat after Serie A champion Napoli didn’t even make the playoffs after finishing in 30th place in the 36-team league phase and Inter Milan was eliminated by tiny Norwegian team Bod/Glimt in the playoffs on Tuesday.
That left Atalanta and Juventus, which trailed Galatasaray 5-2 after the first leg.
Atalanta is back in the last 16 for the first time since the 2020-21 season and will play either Arsenal or Bayern Munich. The draw is on Friday.
Advertisement
Dortmund gives up first-leg lead
Atalanta got the fast start it needed after losing the first leg, with Gianluca Scamacca netting in the fifth minute and Zappacosta also scoring before halftime. Mario Pasalic then headed in the third in the 57th minute to put the hosts ahead on aggregate.
Karim Adeyemi came off the bench for Dortmund to make it 3-3 on aggregate but there was time for late drama.
According to UEFA, it marked the first time Dortmund has failed to convert on a two-goal, first-leg lead in a two-legged European matchup. The team had done so successfully 10 times before.
Former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko will captain Bosnia-Herzegovina against Wales in their World Cup play-off semi-final
As Wales prepare to face Bosnia and Herzegovina in their World Cup play-off semi-final, the visitors’ captain Edin Dzeko is set to fight for what is likely his last opportunity to compete in a major tournament. The veteran’s life hasn’t been without incident since he left Manchester City – and a run-in with Andre Onana is just part of the picture.
Dzeko, 40, will lead his nation at Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday evening as he returns to the UK. However, earlier in the qualifying campaign, he risked upsetting his country’s FA with strong remarks about fan access.
Advertisement
Ahead of a November double-header against Romania and Austria, Bosnia were aware that two victories could secure direct qualification, whilst a solid performance would guarantee a play-off position. But controversy arose prior to the home match against Romania due to two fan groups being unable to buy tickets for the game in Zenica.
Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our United WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. You can also join our United Facebook page by clicking HERE and don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.
BHFanaticos and Ljuti Krajišnica were both prevented from purchasing tickets by the country’s FA, prompting Dzeko to intervene and demand the decision be overturned. “On behalf of my teammates and on my own behalf, I DEMAND the Federation to reconsider its decision and, as before, to provide tickets for fan groups that have been cheering on the BiH national team for years!” he posted on social media.
“With loyal fan support from the stands, which we really need at this important moment for the national team, the players will do their best on the field to achieve a favourable result! We are all going to defend the colours of our homeland on our front.”
Advertisement
When the match against Romania kicked off, over 11,000 fans were present at the 15,000-capacity Bilino Polje Stadium. However, by half-time, a goal from Daniel Birligea had put the visitors ahead, leaving Dzeko and his colleagues with a task on their hands.
The captain led from the front, equalising less than five minutes into the second half. Esmir Bajraktarevic then put Bosnia-Herzegovina ahead with just 11 minutes left, but the points weren’t secured until Haris Tabakovic added a clincher at the death.
Tabakovic scored again in the final group match in Vienna, putting Sergej Barbarez’s team on the brink of a World Cup spot. However, a second-half equaliser from Michael Gregoritsch meant Austria progressed as group winners and left Bosnia-Herzegovina needing to come through a match against Wales and a potential play-off final against Italy or Northern Ireland.
Advertisement
Content cannot be displayed without consent
Dzeko was part of the squad in 2014, the only previous occasion the country have qualified for a World Cup. Sead Kolasinac is the only other member of that group who is in the squad to face Wales on Thursday.
The striker, who was a Premier League champion with City in 2012 and 2014, spent ten years in Italy and Turkey after departing the Etihad Stadium. He transferred to his current club Schalke in January and has netted six goals in eight matches for the 2. Bundesliga leaders.
A stint at Inter Milan was among the highlights of his post-City club career. He was part of the team which reached the Champions League final in 2023 but had a much-publicised falling out with team-mate Andre Onana along the way.
Advertisement
Onana, who would later leave Inter for Manchester United, was seen screaming at Dzeko and telling him to shut up during a round of 16 victory over Porto. Colleague Hakan Calhanoglu felt compelled to step in but the goalkeeper played down the incident after the 1-0 win.
“These things happen in the game, everyone has a right to think what they want,” Onana told Sky Sport Italia. “If the adrenaline that makes us angry also helps us to win games the way we did tonight, then it’s welcome!”
England’s 2026 World Cup kits
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer’s FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code: ENGFREEDEL
Brooks Koepka returned to the PGA Tour with a quiet T56 at the Farmers Insurance Open, but there was more to that performance under the surface. If you looked past the fanfare of his triumphant return, you could see it.
That week at Torrey Pines, Koepka lost over seven shots on the greens while finishing positive in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Approach and Around the Greens. He made a putter switch after the missed cut at the WM Phoenix Open, and his game has started to round into form ever since, with Koepka going T9-T13-T18 through the Florida Swing. He ranked third in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach last week at the Valspar and is ranked first in that category on the PGA Tour on the season, gaining 1.089 strokes on approach per round.
Koepka said he diagnosed a problem with his driver ahead of this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open that likely “cost him six or seven shots” last week. (He finished seven shots behind eventual winner Matt Fitzpatrick.)
That subtle I could’ve won reference is reminiscent of the Brooks Koepka who once said he believed majors are easier to win than normal PGA Tour events. (He won that week.)
Advertisement
Koepka arrives at Memorial Park Golf Course this week with the look and feel of the Koepka of old, the one who crushed major fields with exacting, boring golf. That Koepka is starting to show with the Masters on the horizon because the game that won him five majors, the one that has been missing since his 2023 PGA Championship win, well, Koepka feels it has finally returned.
“I do feel like it is ready,” Koepka said Wednesday when asked if his game was in condition for Augusta National. “Everything’s trending in a nice direction. Ball-striking feels really, really good. Pete [Cowen’s] done a phenomenal job just getting everything where it needs to be. Yeah, the putting was a huge thing. I feel like it’s been so different because I was putting so terribly, I felt like I had to birdie the hole almost from the fairway or from the tee box.
“Where now I can sit back and kind of play golf how I used to play in ’17, ’19, kind of in that run when I was playing very good where I can be very patient and just kind of wait my time. … I used to just kind of — it felt very boring, just hit the center of the greens and occasionally you push and pull one kind of right on the flag. I always think — I said it was like conservatively aggressive.”
The arrow has been trending up for Koepka ever since he made his return to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf at the end of January, but there’s one thing that’s missing as he looks to peak at Augusta National in two weeks: Koepka hasn’t been in the cauldron on the weekend yet during his PGA Tour rebirth.
He believes his game is back to the level that saw him suffocate major championship fields with ease, but he won’t know that for sure until he tests it under pressure. That’s the goal this week in Houston as Koepka starts to fully shift his focus to the Masters and his hunt for major No. 6.
“The only thing is I really haven’t put myself in contention with nine holes to go,” Koepka said. “That’s really the last missing piece that I feel like I need to accomplish here before Augusta. I just need to get the juices flowing of having a chance to win a golf tournament. It’s been a while. Didn’t win last year. I just need to be able to put myself and get those feelings again. And especially out here, competing against unbelievable players on a difficult golf course would be what I need to do for the final prep for Augusta.”
A few weeks ago at the Players Championship, Koepka acknowledged that TPC Sawgrass serves as a barometer for where your game is at heading into the start of the major season. It’s a difficult test on a course where carnage lurks around every bend. Solve it, and you head toward the Masters feeling confident in your prospects. But fail the PGA Tour’s flagship test, and you have very little time to find answers before you drive down Magnolia Lane.
Advertisement
“This is kind of right where I feel like you needed to know where your game was at,” Koepka said at TPC Sawgrass. “Every time you come to the Players, you get a good idea of, hey, you’ve got a couple more weeks right before Augusta; if you’ve got to make any changes, this is where it needs to happen. This is kind of, in my eyes, the kickoff of the real heat of the golf season. And it’s a lot of fun, it’s exciting, and just need to be on top of things.”
He finished in a tie for 13th, picked up almost seven shots on approach, which ranked fourth in the field and would have been a real weekend factor if not for a three-hole blowup during Friday’s second round. Koepka followed that with another solid week at the Valspar that an overly spinny driver apparently derailed, and now arrives at his final Masters tune-up finally sounding like the swaggering, major-beating Koepka of old.
“I love the way I’m playing,” Koepka said. “Just want to put myself in contention here for the first time before Augusta. My game is rounding into form. I can see it. I don’t know if maybe results-wise, it probably hasn’t looked that way, but I can see it as a whole, it’s really all starting to come together.”
Advertisement
That’s something no one hoping to add a green jacket to their closet in two weeks wants to hear.
Wednesday night, the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giantsopened the 2026 MLB season at Oracle Park. It’s the only game on Wednesday’s schedule. The other 28 teams are enjoying one last off-day before they begin their seasons Thursday and Friday.
The Yankees and Giants battled on the field Wednesday night, and three decades ago they battled in free agency for the game’s best player. Both clubs pursued Barry Bonds as a free agent during the 1992 offseason, and, of course, Bonds ultimately went home to the Bay Area, signing a six-year deal worth just under $44 million with the Giants. It made him the game’s highest-paid player.
During a visit to the Netflix broadcast booth on Wednesday, Bonds said late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was willing to make him baseball’s highest-paid player, but he put a deadline on the offer. That pushed Bonds to San Francisco. Here’s the story:
“George isn’t here anymore, so I can tell the truth, right?” Bonds started. “I would’ve been with the Yankees, but Steinbrenner got on the phone and called us and told me, ‘Barry, we’re going to give you the money — the highest-paid player at that time — but you got to sign the contract by 2 o’clock this afternoon. And I said, ‘Excuse me?!’ And I just hung the phone up.
Advertisement
“And I went to go get lunch, and Dennis Gilbert, my agent, they were like, ‘Do you know what you just did?!’ I’m like, ‘Did you know what he just said?!’” Bonds continued. “I just said, ‘Forget it.’ By the time I walked down the street to go get lunch, I said, ‘Let me just think about this.’ The Giants called me, and I said, ‘I’m going home.’”
Back in 1992, the New York Times reported the Yankees gave Bonds two days to accept the offer, not until 2 p.m. Also, a sixth year was said to be the sticking point, not the deadline. The Yankees held firm at five years. The Giants put a sixth year on the table and that pushed it across the finish line.
Bonds enjoyed 15 very successful seasons with the Giants, winning four MVPs and eventually becoming the all-time home run king. The Yankees did just fine without him. They won the World Series in 1996, four years after losing out on Bonds, then won three more titles in 1998, 1999, and 2000.
Nigeria U19 Women Cricket Team pulled off a dramatic win over South Africa U19 Women Cricket Team in a Super Over finish at the TBS Cricket Oval in Lagos.
After both sides ended regulation play tied at 133, Nigeria held their nerve in the decider, winning by just one run.
South Africa set the target earlier in the match, finishing on 133/7, thanks largely to a strong innings from captain Mieke van Voorst, who scored 69.
Advertisement
Nigeria’s response was driven by captain Lucky Piety, who delivered an outstanding unbeaten 66 off 35 balls, guiding the hosts to 133/3 and forcing the Super Over.
In the decider, Nigeria posted 10/0, before restricting South Africa to 9/1 to seal the victory.
The result sets up another meeting between the two sides in the semifinal on March 27, following their strong performances in the group stage.
In their final warm-up match before the start of the FIFA World Cup (June 11- July 19) in the United States, Mexico and Canada, France face Brazil in a friendly. Weakened by absences, the Brazilians will have their work cut out against the French, the World Cup runners-up, who comfortably topped their qualifying group. This international break could also be Kylian Mbappé’s chance to become the French national team’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Elsewhere, Italy are on tenterhooks. Having missed out on the last two World Cups, the Squadra Azzurra must still secure their qualification, starting with a match against Northern Ireland. Enough to describe this match as “the most important of my career”, according to Italy’s manager Gennaro Gattuso. And then there was the fine performance of Dorian Godon, the Frenchman, who remains the overall leader of the Vuelta a Catalunya and winner of the third stage.
The Toronto Raptors were never in a very good position to get a win over the Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome.
And they didn’t, falling 119-94 to the Clippers on Wednesday to drop to 2-3 on their five-game west coast road trip, to 40-32 on the season and a half-game behind the red-hot Atlanta Hawks (overtime winners over Detroit) for fifth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Raptors remain in sixth but are just a half-game up on seventh-place Philadelphia, which had both Joel Embiid and Paul George back in the lineup for a win over Chicago Wednesday night. Things are getting tight.
The Raptors were without Immanuel Quickley, who missed his second straight game with plantar fasciitis, which is concerning. But you can’t blame being not competitive on missing a single starter. Serious teams don’t do that.
The expectations remain: If the Raptors play well, they should be able to control their own destiny, presumably.
Advertisement
That’s where this group might have some problems.
The game was tied 13-13 at the 6:10 mark of the game, but then the Clippers went on a 23-9 run to finish the first quarter and the Raptors never really threatened after that.
But you still have to try, right? The Raptors were trailing 59-45 to start the third. You wouldn’t have bet on them to win it, but it wasn’t an insurmountable lead. They could have made it interesting. But they never really did, and here is a partial list of errors they made when they were trying to get back into a crucial game against a quality opponent on the road. No team is flawless, but keep in mind, this is not an exhaustive list of mistakes and miscalculations at key moments of a vital game:
• The Raptors get a turnover on the Clippers’ first possession of the third quarter, but RJ Barrett sails an inexplicable pass over Jakob Poeltl on the ensuing fast break. Even if the pass had been on target, it was a bad place for the seven-foot Poeltl to catch it, 15 feet from the rim and on the move.
Advertisement
• Brandon Ingram dribbles into traffic and gets stripped for one of his three live-ball turnovers — all in similar situations. The Clippers get a three in transition.
• Jamal Shead misses a fairly routine lay-up — or what should be for an NBA guard — on an open diagonal cut from a nice pass by Scottie Barnes. Shead finished with eight points and four assists. He hit a pair of threes (on five attempts) but was 1-of-4 inside the arc in his 31 minutes.
• Barrett and Shead get mixed up in pick-and-roll coverage — if I had to guess, Barrett should have dropped into the paint with Derrick Jones Jr. after Shead went over his screen to stay with Darius Garland. Whatever, Jones gets an easy jump hook in the lane.
• Ingram made some nice, simple passes away from the traps and traffic the Clippers were sending his way most of the night, but too often they ended up in the hands of the Raptors’ non-shooters or — as when he found Collin Murray-Boyles at the rim on one play — the Clippers were able to recover and get the block.
Advertisement
• Ja’Kobe Walter and Poeltl get mesmerized in a side pick-and-roll, and Poeltl is slow to recover, so Markelle Fultz has to help off Nick Batum in the weakside corner. Ingram doesn’t react and it’s an easy look for three that Batum cashes.
• Or how about Walter simply losing Bennedict Mathurin on a weakside cut? Or Ingram being slow in transition and allowing the Canadian bucket hunter an easy lay-up in transition.
As I said, there were more. It’s not like the Clippers were perfect or the Raptors didn’t do some good things. Garland was fantastic, finishing with 24 points and six assists on 9-of-16 shooting (5-of-9 from three). If he stays healthy, he’s going to be a fantastic return in the James Harden trade to Cleveland. And the Montreal-native Mathurin — added from the Indiana Pacers at the trade deadline — was his usual rambunctious self on his way to 23 points on 14 shots in 27 minutes.
My point is that when you’re shy on talent — and against this version of the Clippers, the Raptors even at close to full strength lack both the high-end skill and back of the lineup experience and depth — a team like the Raptors has to nail the small stuff.
Advertisement
They didn’t nail the small stuff. They shot 4-of-11 from the free throw line and were 1-of-7 in the first half. Mathurin was 8-of-11 from the line on his own. Shooting 10-of-29 from three and 41.7 per cent overall to the Clippers’ 16-of-35 and 51.2 per cent overall (and 19-of-24 from the free throw line) doesn’t help either.
Barnes deserves some credit for eight rebounds, 12 assists, two steals and a block, but he, along with Ingram and Barrett, were a combined 17-of-46 from the floor with 40 points between them. Those are the Raptors’ top three scorers on the season. That’s not going to win many games against good teams. The Raptors’ total of wins over .500 teams since Feb. 1 remains at two.
Ingram, minutes eater: The Raptors’ all-star forward suited up for his 69th game Wednesday night, returning to the lineup after he was a late scratch on Monday against the Utah Jazz with heel inflammation in his right foot.
Despite that concern, Ingram (18 points, six rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes) was back at work two days later. There is no special significance to his 69th game other than it’s very likely that he’ll play his 70th on Friday at home against his old team, the New Orleans Pelicans. It was during his six-plus seasons in New Orleans that Ingram developed his reputation for being as durable as a pane of glass in a rock fight.
Advertisement
He played 18 games last season and averaged just 52 games per season over his previous eight years in the league. If he hits the 70-game mark, it will be for just the second time in his career and the first time since he played 79 games as a rookie with the Los Angeles Lakers. Heading into Wednesday, he was already at a career-best 2,314 minutes played.
Proving that he could carry a load for a winning team was one of his goals when I spoke with him before the season.
Ingram’s renaissance isn’t all that far off what one-time Raptors and current Clippers star Kawhi Leonard experienced in Toronto under the watchful eye of the Raptors training staff, headed by Raptors director of sports science and player performance, Alex McKechnie.
There was a fitting moment in the first quarter last night when Ingram blocked Leonard on a dunk attempt that sent the Clippers star flat on his back. It was not a play you would have bet either man to be available to attempt very often in the past few seasons, and no one got hurt.
Advertisement
If you recall, in the season before Leonard’s championship year with the Raptors, he played just nine games in San Antonio. Under the watchful eye of McKechnie and his team, Leonard was carefully managed (load-managed as we came to learn) through 60 regular season games with the Raptors and then went on to lead the NBA in post-season minutes played. Coincidence or not, Leonard has only been able to finish one season healthy since joining the Clippers.
It takes a village of health professionals to get a player with an injury history through an NBA season in good health.
“I got to shout out the training staff,” he said to me recently as he played his 64th game, which was his second-highest single-game total until this season.
And then he did, by name: “Alex, Ben (assistant strength and conditioning coach Ben Bahrami), Jonny Lee (head strength and conditioning coach), Amanda (physiotherapist Amanda Joaquim), Zahra, Melissa (massage therapists Zahra Bruce and Melissa Doldron). Everybody has their input on what I do to get ready for games, get ready for practice and recovery. Lifting, everything, top to bottom.
Advertisement
“I just been staying on it, trying to do everything I can. Cold tub, saunas, whatever I can do to recover myself, I’ve been staying on it and they’ve done a good job staying on me too.”
Speaking of Kawhi …: The dude is so frigging good. It’s a shame that injuries have defined so much of his career. Well, that and two Finals MVP awards with two different franchises (San Antonio in 2014 and Toronto in 2019). The crazy thing is, had Leonard been able to stay healthy — he’s had three season-ending injuries in the playoffs alone since winning the title with the Raptors — he’d probably have another Finals MVP if the Clippers could ever make the Finals.
On Wednesday, he finished with 27 points and six rebounds on 9-of-19 shooting. And that was against the combination of Barnes and Murray-Boyles, two really big, strong, agile defenders who, in theory, should give him trouble. They did not give very much trouble. He dribbled each of them down deep to the block and then separated for his money mid-range jumpers like they were barely there, although Murray-Boyles had 10 points, five rebounds, a steal and a block.
Leonard came into the game averaging a career-best 28.3 points with 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.0 steals (second-best mark of his career) with a True Shooting percentage of 63.2, which is the second highest of his career. He has to play eight of the Clippers’ last nine games to qualify for the NBA post-season awards, but if he does, he’s a lock for another all-NBA nod, which would be his eighth.
Advertisement
It does not get easier: So, the Raptors fly back from Los Angeles Thursday and will host the New Orleans Pelicans in a very rare 8:30 p.m. ET start on Friday night at Scotiabank Arena as the Raptors are hoping to ease their return into the Eastern time zone. Then they have a crucial game against the Orlando Magic with a tiebreaker on the line, travel to Detroit for their third meeting with the Pistons, before heading on the road for a pair against Memphis and Boston. The Grizzlies are the only tanking team on that schedule. The Raptors will have to beat some quality opponents to stay in the top six in the East.
They’ll have their chance over the next 10 days, but if they go 2-3 over their next five games, they might be sizing up opponents for the Play-In Tournament rather than the playoffs.
If you’d like a look at the candidates and their dossiers, we’ve got that here. This search is going to take some time — I’d venture April 1 is the fastest possible timeline, and even that is ambitious — so this tracker will update on more with UNC’s pursuit as the weekend plays out.
Oh, and we had a hiring in a power conference on Wednesday: Butler is bringing on alumnus Ronald Nored as its coach. The 36-year-old was the behind-the-scenes frontrunner after Thad Matta’s retirement and never lost the lead.
Butler wasn’t the only school to make a move: South Florida lured Chris Mack away from Charleston to be its next coach. That’s one that wasn’t flaring many radars, and the agreement came together in a flurry on Wednesday, per one source. Mack has the most wins (323) of any inbound USF coach at the time of their hiring in program history.
“I am truly excited for the opportunity to lead a South Florida basketball program that’s on an exceptional trajectory and to join a university and athletic department defined by strong leadership, shared aspirations, and tremendous alignment,” Mack said in a statement. “The exceptional vision and commitment Rob (Higgins) outlined are inspiring, and I am grateful for his trust and belief in my leadership of Bulls basketball. I’m eager to connect with Bulls Nation, the students in the SoFlo Rodeo, and the passionate fans who make the Yuengling Center such a special home court.”
Annnnnd we’ve got one more dose of college carousel gossip: The noise around Will Wadepotentially bailing on NC State after one year to double back to LSU has a lot of people in the college basketball world laughing but also shaking their heads. One source told me they expect this to happen, it’s just a matter of days. The lack of statement from LSU on Matt McMahon’s job security over the past two weeks has been conspicuous, to say the least.
Other hirings from earlier this week
At Arizona State, Randy Bennett agreed to a five-year contract to be the coach of the Sun Devils. The Mesa, Arizona, native finally said yes after previously turning down the school multiple times in prior searches.
Bennett spent the past 25 years at SMC and went 589-228, including 12 NCAA Tournament teams, five of which came in the past five seasons. The Gaels made one Sweet 16, in 2010, on Bennett’s watch. All told, he’s one of the 20-ish best coaches in college basketball; the work he did in Moraga was a lift few others could’ve sustained over two and a half decades. He’s more than earned a shot at the power-conference level.
Advertisement
Arizona State placed a premium on Bennett, who was clearly catalyzed by the fact that Gonzaga is leaving the WCC and thus downgrading the league. The Bennett move at Saint Mary’s triggered an internal promotion of Mickey McConnell in Moraga. The Gaels alumnus gets his first shot at 36 years old. Can he keep SMC at the top of the WCC?
The other high-major news from Monday was Creighton coach Greg McDermott’s impending retirement. One of the game’s best tacticians is walking away at 63. I’ve got that story and all the info here. No search there, though. Alan Huss agreed last year to be next up once McDermott was done, so that transition is already buttoned up and will be official after Creighton’s season ends in the Fox-run Crown event out in Las Vegas next week.
The first hiring of Monday came in the American, where CBS Sports broke the news that Wes Miller agreed to be the next coach at Charlotte on a five-year deal. Miller was fired from Cincinnati almost two weeks ago but let it be known he still wanted to coach and land somewhere as quickly as possible. Miller is from Charlotte, which made the hiring process even more logical. Miller and Cincinnati agreed to terms on his payout from Cincinnati last week; the school would have owed him $9.9 million if it did not formally fire him until April 1. Miller’s record in five seasons at Cincinnati was 100-74. Before that, he coached in North Carolina at UNCG, going 185-135. In his career, Miller’s won 57.7% of his games (285-209) across 15 seasons.
Advertisement
G-Mac to 🍊
We’ve still got more to address! Gerry McNamara is now running the show at Syracuse. The school officially announced the hiring Tuesday morning.
The twist: Sources said Syracuse showed significant interest in other candidates, most prominently Saint Louis’ Josh Schertz, in the lead-up to the NCAA Tournament. SLU announced on March 13 it had agreed to terms of a new contract, but with the buyout being somewhat manageable, Syracuse pursued all options before landing on McNamara. One source said SU was still making a push on Schertz even after Saint Louis’ first round win over Georgia.
Though that never came to be, the fact Syracuse still looked at Schertz and other candidates falls in line with what sources previously told me: McNamara winning out comes after weeks of debate amongst big money players at Syracuse who were split over whether or not to break from the Syracuse family/Jim Boeheim coaching tree. McNamara is of course adored at Cuse, but some influential supporters of the program felt adamant that Syracuse needed to go in a new direction. Others favored keeping it in the family for at least one more try; McNamara was the obvious choice in that regard.
I’m told Syracuse is hopeful it can raise more than $9 million total in NIL budgeting for the 2026-27 season, with at least $4.5 million of that coming from revenue sharing. McMamara will have the support he needs to try and turn things around in central New York.
Advertisement
Here are our some of our high-major carousel headlines in the past week-plus:
ARIZONA STATE | OUT: Bobby Hurley »» IN: Randy Bennett Hurley leaves with the second-most wins in program history. Credit to ASU athletic director Graham Rossini for landing the best possible replacement. Bennett was the target of multiple previous searches and turned down the job. Now he’s going to make a run in his 60s and see if he can get the Sun Devils to consistently compete in the top half of the Big 12. That’s a real jolt for this program. He’ll have to do more with less, which is no thing new after the wizard work he guided for 25 years at Saint Mary’s.
BUTLER | OUT: Thad Matta »» IN: Ronald Nored Matta retired after a four-year, 63-69 go of it with the Bulldogs. The news was all the more surprising considering that Butler athletic director Grant Leiendecker publicly said Matta would be back for a fifth season. Ultimately, it’s probably the right move. Nored was announced Wednesday and represents the latest hire in a link of Butler-family head-coaching moves. He’s young but he’s sharp. Can he bump them up in the Big East?
BOSTON COLLEGE | OUT: Earl Grant This one was expected for months. There are 79 jobs in the Power Five leagues, and Boston College, unfortunately and unquestionably, ranks in the bottom five. Grant couldn’t win there, but this is an institutional problem as much as anything else. Minimal fan support, bottom of the league in NIL capability, and the basketball there ranks below football and hockey in the priority order. Will take a very specific fit to even give the Eagles a shot at fighting into the middle of the ACC. UConn assistant Luke Murray and Vermont head coach John Becker are the two finalists. I was thinking we’d know by Wednesday, but maybe this drags on to the end of the week.
CINCINNATI | OUT: Wes Miller »» IN: Jerrod Calhoun The Bearcats had to make a change after going five straight seasons without an NCAA bid, even if Miller’s teams came close three times. Miller wound up doing just fine by shooting off to Charlotte. Jerrod Calhoun (Utah State) is an alum and was the top target from Day 1. Bearcats fans have some hope again, and fortunately for them, the program should be at or north of $8 million to spend on a roster for 2026-27. That’s not upper tier for this cycle, but it is manageable and can be competitive.
CREIGHTON | OUT: Greg McDermott »» IN: Alan Huss The 61-year-old McDermott leaves as the most accomplished coach in program history. In addition to overseeing Creighton’s valuable upgrade from the Missouri Valley to the Big East in the early 2010s, he coached 11 NCAA Tournament-level teams at Creighton and made two Sweet 16s (2021, 2024) along with an Elite Eight (2023). McDermott went 365-188 at Creighton, and when factoring in his time as coach at North Dakota State, Northern Iowa and Iowa State, he’s at 645-383 with 13 NCAA Tournament appearances. Huss was at High Point a year ago and left because he agreed to be coach-in-waiting when McDermott stepped away.
G. TECH | OUT: Damon Stoudamire »» IN: Scott Cross Sources said the buyout for the 52-year-old Stoudamire was just $2.6 million, which made the decision that much easier after a 42-55 record in three seasons. This is a bottom-four job in the ACC (despite its terrific location) due to its lack of success over the past two decades, its relatively tough academic parameters and its limitations in NIL. Sources told me Tech will top out at $3.5 million in revenue sharing and maybe an additional $2 million after that. And yet, the 2026 portal market will likely mandate high-major teams to work with at least $6 million in order to be somewhat competitive. As was first reported here, Cross was the guy. The school made it official last Friday.
KANSAS STATE | OUT: Jerome Tang »» IN: Casey Alexander The first power conference job to hit the market in 2026, and it did so in a noisy fashion. Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor fired Tang for cause on Feb. 15. University lawyers and Tang’s legal representation are in an ongoing legal dispute over the validity of a for-cause firing, which, if K-State were successful, would mean $0 owed to Tang. If fully unsuccessful, Tang has more than $18 million coming his way. I’m expecting a settlement with terms undisclosed. Alexander and K-State agreed to terms on March 12 after it was clear that Jerrod Calhoun wasn’t going to leave Utah State for Manhattan, Kansas.
PROVIDENCE | OUT: Kim English »» IN: Bryan Hodgson PC finished 15-18 this season, and English was unable to get the school to the NCAAs in three seasons on the job. Hodgson agreed to a five-year contract late Saturday night. The Friars will be well-stocked; sources said the program will be well north of $10 million in this year’s portal cycle, which will be critical as Hodgson is expected to turn over almost the entire roster. PC bringing on the soon-to-be 39-year-old is a personality fit. He doesn’t run from a battle and is a guy who loves to punch up. The Big East just got more interesting. Providence agreed to a five-year contract with Hodgson.
SYRACUSE | OUT: Adrian Autry »» IN: Gerry McNamara The Orange’s season finished with an 86-69 loss to SMU in the ACC Tournament; Syracuse was a 14-seed in the league bracket. Jim Boeheim’s successor leaves with a 49-48 record and no NCAA Tournament showings. Siena coach/SU alum McNamara became the top target after some other wish-list candidates wouldn’t got to the altar. Plus: Siena almost upset Duke in the first round. This is a pivotal hiring. As one Syracuse-connected source told me a few days ago: “If this hire doesn’t go well, [Syracuse] could become a one step above a mid-major.” The program’s outlook after Boeheim feels tenuous, though the fan base is passionate and thirsty to get back to relevance. McNamara has a huge task on his hands, but his love for the school is undeniable.
Mid-majors
AIR FORCE | OUT:Joe Scott »» IN: Joe Crispin Scott had two runs at Air Force, the first from 1999-2004, the second from 2020 until earlier this year, when Scott was put on leave in January amid an investigation into his treatment of players. That ultimately led to a severance between he and the school, though the two sides ended things amicably with kind words when the split was made official on Feb. 26. A military academy program in the Mountain West, Air Force easily ranks among the 10 toughest jobs in all of college hoops. Crispin, 46, will leave Penn State as an assistant to take on his first head coaching opportunity.
BALL STATE | OUT: Mike Lewis »» IN: Chris Capko The Cardinals had Lewis in charge for four seasons, but the last three were all under .500. With this year’s team going 12-19, rumors bubbled up in late January that the job would come up. Lewis, a former UCLA assistant under Mick Cronin, went 61-64 in the MAC. The team hasn’t made the NCAAs since 2000 under Ray McCallum. Capko comes aboard after years of working under Andy Enfield at USC and SMU.
BELMONT | OUT: Casey Alexander »» IN: Evan Bradds Alexander was anxious to leave after more than proving his value over the past seven seasons in Nashville. He tallied a 166-60 record with the Bruins, continuing the impressive legacy built out by his former coach and mentor Rick Byrd. Bradds spent this past season at Duke after cutting his teeth in the NBA with the Jazz and Celtics. He played at Belmont and graduated in 2017 after winning OVC POY. At 31, he’ll likely be the youngest D-I coach next season. Bradds played at Belmont from 2013-17 and was a terrific mid-major scorer, winning OVC Player of the Year as a junior and senior.
CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD | OUT: Rod Barnes »» IN: Todd Lee Barnes was fired last September after 14 years at Bakersfield, and the reason is jaw-dropping: One of his former assistants was federally charged for allegations of pimping, among other heinous illegal activities. There have also been changes in leadership in the athletic department and this is a cash-strapped job that’s extremely difficult. Lee, who’s coached for more than three decades, spent recent seasons on Eric Musselman’s staff but was also an assistant at Bakersfield in the ’90s.
CHARLESTON | OUT: Chris Mack A semi-stunner Wednesday afternoon, as Mack was announced as the next coach at South Florida. He leaves behind by far the best NIL situation (and living location) in the CAA. A premier job in a one-bid league just came open and a lot of people are going to be out for it.
CHARLOTTE | OUT: Aaron Fearne »» IN: Wes Miller The 49ers made the move after three years with Fearne, who went 17-17 this season and 47-51 overall. The school has some solid financial backing for NIL moving forward thanks to some investments by local billionaire Ric Elias. Miller lands on his feet in what’s a best-case scenario after not making it to Year 6 with Cincinnati. If he can be as effective at Charlotte as he was at UNCG for a decade, he should end the school’s two-decade-plus NCAA tourney drought. This feels like a proper bounce-back opportunity.
DARTMOUTH | OUT: Dave McLaughlin The school did not renew McLaughlin’s contract. The Big Green job is almost universally considered the toughest in the eight-school Ivy League, so picking a next coach will be difficult. McLaughlin came on in 2016 and was 87-161 with a 41-85 conference record.
EASTERN MICHIGAN | OUT: Stan Heath »» IN: Billy Donlon The Eagles are starting over after five years under Heath. EMU was 57-98 the last five seasons and only finished .500 once both overall and in the MAC (in 2024-25). The location is good for a MAC program (less than 15 minutes from Michigan‘s campus, in fact) but the resources are bottom half of the league. That will need to change. Donlon is an assistant at Clemson and has a 155-133 record at Wright State and Kansas City.
FIU | OUT: Jeremy Ballard »» IN: Joey Cantens Ballard was sacked after his eighth season on the job. The CUSA program had winning seasons in Ballard’s first two years but averaged 12 wins over the last six. Cantens came from behind to land the gig over some sitting high-major assistants. His teams went 109-21 in-state at Daytona State College in the D-II ranks. The 39-year-old is a local who grew up in Miami.
GEORGIA STATE | OUT: Jonas Hayes Hayes lasted four seasons and leaves Atlanta with a 48-79 record at the Sun Belt-based program. The school will still draw in some promising mid-major candidates because of its location and potential in that league.
KANSAS CITY | OUT: Marvin Menzies »» IN: Mark Turgeon A huge get for the Roos, who have pulled off a rarity: A school with zero NCAA Tournament appearances hired a coach with at least 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, at least 15 years of experience of high-major coaching and at least 450 wins. The only other instance of this that I can recall where that exact scenario applied is when High Point hired Tubby Smith in 2018, but he was an alum. Turgeon played at Kansas and therefore has some semi-local ties. He heads to the Summit League with a healthy boost in NIL support, determined not to let his rickety exit from Maryland in 2021 be the end of his story.
LAMAR | OUT: Alvin Brooks »» Jordan Fee Fee? Hit the Phish. Lamar is hiring the FAU assistant with a really good rep as an up-and-comer who’s had previous success at some non-D1 spots. Could be one of the best mid-major gets of this cycle. Brooks went 62-95 across five seasons in the Southland. This season’s team went 12-19 overall. The Cardinals last made the NCAA Tournament in 2012 under Pat Knight.
LITTLE ROCK | OUT: Darrell Walker »» IN: Travis Ford Walker’s team went 12-20 this season and finished seventh in the OVC. He leaves after eight seasons and with a 113-133 record. If you followed the tracker, you saw I had Ford’s name as the frontrunner basically from the start. The process was a little clunky and took a scenic route to getting there, but Little Rock brings on a guy with 20-plus seasons as a head coach and almost 500 wins. Ford was most recently at Saint Louis but also Oklahoma State and UMass prior to that.
UL MONROE | OUT: Phil Cunningham »» Ryan Cross A one-and-done in the Sun Belt. Cunningham was the head coach this past season after serving as an assistant the year prior. The team went 4-28, ranking 350th at KenPom. The bad record combined with the school switching ADs in the past five months led to the change. Cross is a former assistant (2012-20) who spent the past two seasons at UAB.
UTAH STATE | OUT: Jerrod Calhoun The Aggies will be holding a coaching search for the fifth time in five years. One name that should get strong consideration is Craig Smith. He was at Utah State from 2018-21 and won 74 games in three seasons, including 50-14 in the Mountain West and three total league titles. You could also see BYU’s Chris Burgess or Bobby Hurley try to get involved as well. The pool will be competitive. This is one of the best mid-major jobs in the country. Fascinated to see who’s next up in Logan.
NORTH FLORIDA | OUT:Matt Driscoll »» IN: Bobby Kennen This job had been open dating back to last May, when Driscoll left after 16 seasons to be Jerome Tang’s top assistant at Kansas State. Now Driscoll is wrapping up a disappointing season in Manhattan, Kansas, in the wake of Tang’s mid-February firing. At UNF, the Ospreys struggled under Kennen; the team went 7-24 this season. Nevertheless, he’s got the full-time gig. UNF’s been a D-I program for two decades, with its lone NCAA Tournament trip coming in 2015 under Driscoll.
N. ILLINOIS | OUT: Rashon Burno »» IN: Matt Majkrzak Burno bounced after five seasons, all of them under .500. This year’s team finished 9-21 and 319th at KenPom at the time of Burno’s (expected) resignation. He went 48-106 in one of the toughest jobs in the MAC. As was previously noted in this here capsule, Majkrzak was a leading candiate from the onset. The 35-year-old had a 136-73 in seven seasons at Northern Michigan in Division II.
OREGON STATE | OUT:Wayne Tinkle »» IN: Justin Joyner For Tinkle, the high point was the unexpected run to the Elite Eight in the 2021 COVID NCAA tourney, when the Beavers won three games as a 12-seed after earning the auto bid by winning the Pac-12 Tournament. Joyner is a fresh new face and represents and optimistic new start for the Beavers as the Pac-12 rebirth will commence later this year. Joyner is on a five-year contract and will try to compete in the league with the likes of Gonzaga, Boise State, San Diego State, Utah State.
PEPPERDINE | OUT: Ed Schilling Two-and-through for Schilling, who was a surprising hire in 2024. The Waves went 22-45 the past two seasons and won just eight games in the WCC. Pepperdine famously has one of the most beautiful campuses in the country, but it’s also a school with strong religious ties and therefore will have specific criteria for its next coach. Cal Baptist coach Rick Croy could be a name to watch here, as are guys like Virginia assistant Griff Aldrich and Notre Dame assistant Kyle Getter.
SAN DIEGO | OUT: Steve Lavin »» IN: JR Blount The 61-year-old Lavin couldn’t bring the program to consistency in the Gonzaga-dominated WCC. USD has not made the NCAAs since 2008 under Bill Grier. Athletic director Kimya Massey moved even more quickly than most expected when he brought on Blount, who’s seen his reputation rise quickly the past two seasons at Iowa State. This was a competitive job opening. I highlighted Blount just last week in my names-to-know piece for this year’s carousel cycle. He’s considered among the sharpest young defensive minds in high-major hoops, but beyond that, he has an outstanding reputation for his dedication to the job.
SAINT MARY’S | OUT: Randy Bennett »» IN: Mickey McConnell After 25 years in Moraga, Bennett is finally taking a chance on himself and coaching at a power-conference program. He’s not yet signed but is closing in on a five-year deal to be the coach at Arizona State. The plan was always to promote from within at SMC; McConnell, 36, is one of the better players in program history and has been on staff since 2019.
SIENA | OUT: Gerry McNamara A one-ane-done year for McNamara, who had everything break just right in order for him to go back to Syracuse and try to restore the luster at a program facing an uncertain crossroads. McNamara’s Saints team nearly toppling 1-seed Duke in the tourney made his hiring that much easier to sell to a fan base that has loved him for 23 years and counting. Will Siena promote in-house or try to land a quality assistant from the high-major ranks?
TROY | OUT: Scott Cross After seven seasons, Cross leaves for Georgia Tech. The Trojans are coming off back-to-back tournament runs. The Sun Belt program is down to a few finalists, I’m told, including SEMO coach Brad Korn.
USF | OUT: Bryan Hodgson »» IN: Chris Mack With Hodgson’s expected move to Providence, USF will be the only team in the sport to have five coaches in a five-year span. In 2022-23, Brian Gregory was in charge and got fired. Amir Abdur-Rahim took over, revived the program, then tragically died in in October 2024, weeks before his second season was set to begin. Ben Fletcher was the interim in 2024-25 and then Hodgson got the job. Next up? Chris Mack. A stealth job switch from Charleston for the former Louisville and Xavier coach. He’ll be well-stocked to keep it rolling in Tampa.
ST. BONAVENTURE | OUT: Mark Schmidt Schmidt, 63, leaves the profession with a terrific reputation. Bonaventure is an extremely tough job, yet he won 339 games most in program history, and captured four combined conference titles. With Schmidt leaving, program GM and prominent former NBA national reporter Adrian Wojnarowski will work with school leadership to try and land a coach on the cheap who is about leaning into the challenges and culture of Bonaventure. I’ve been told that this job is going to be a significant pay cut from what Schmidt was making after 19 years and all the pay bumps that come with such a long tenure. Bona doesn’t have any revenue sharing and needs to fundraise all of its capital in order to try and field a roster that can compete in the A-10; Wojnarowski has a huge task ahead, to be sure. Two early names rumored for the job are both alums: Washington Wizards assistant David Vanterpool and D-II Daemen College coach Mike MacDonald, who’s done well at that level.
TARLETON STATE | OUT: Billy Gillispie »» IN: Eric Haut Gillispie oversaw Tarleton State’s transition into Division I, with the high point being a 25-10 season in 2023-24. The WAC-based school went 92-90 in six years at the D-I level under Gillispie. The university, based in Stephenville, Texas, is about 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth. Haut will join the program after Utah State finishes playing in the NCAA tourney. He’s been a valuable assistant at USU, Northern Kentucky and Kent State. Was due for a shot at running his own show.
TENNESSEE TECH | OUT: John Pelphrey »» IN: Tobin Anderson Pelphrey lasted seven years in the Ohio Valley and went 79–138 at what is obviously a very hard job with limited resources. TTU last won the regular-season title in the OVC in 2005, but it landed the best guy possible. Anderson famously coached FDU to a 16-over-1 upset of Purdue in the 2023 NCAAs. He potentially could’ve gotten a bigger job this cycle. Big coup for this school.
UNCG | OUT: Mike Jones »» IN: Jerod Haase Something of a surprise here, as Jones went 93-69 and didn’t get his contract extended. The Spartans went 15-19 this season, the only one of Jones’ five that didn’t end above .500. The job is considered in the top third in the SoCon. Haase got the job after two years away from coaching. He’s 206-180 at UAB and Stanford. The Carolina connection was big in getting him the gig.
UTRGV | OUT: Kahil Fennel Tough loss for the Vaqueros, who had Fennel for two seasons but did not have the resources to keep a quality up-and-coming coach around for Year 3. The Southland program will plumb the depths to see if they can land an assistant at a power conference school.
WAGNER | OUT: Donald Copeland (?) Wagner was coached by interim Dwan McMillan since the start of the season after Copeland was put on indefinite leave amid a school investigation into alleged abusive coaching tactics, including withholding water breaks during practice. One former player went on record with the New York Post last fall to confirm the allegations, but the school has yet to fire Copeland, who is still listed on the team’s website. The Seahawks went 14-17 and lost in the NEC semis to LIU.
WEBER STATE | OUT: Eric Duft We have a Brad Stevens-esque transition in the Big Sky. Duft has been with the program for two decades, but he’s not being fired. He’s going into the athletic department with a title of President of Basketball Operations and Development for the men’s basketball program. He’ll be working with Damian Lillard, who’s labeled as Weber State’s GM, to get the Wildcats to a better spot, roster-wise, for the net coach. Duft was the head coach the past four years.
WESTERN MICHIGAN | OUT: Dwayne Stephens »» IN: Kahil Fennel The former Michigan State assistant lasted four seasons in Kalamazoo, going 42-84. The Broncos came extremely close to ending Miami University’s undefeated run on Feb. 27 before falling in the final second 69-67. The school last made the NCAAs in 2014. Fennel, 43, arrives via UTRGV, where he went 35-29 the past two seasons. A pretty solid get at a place with enough to be a player in the MAC in the next two years.
Fool me once? Shame on you. Fool me twice with a near-carbon copy pass in-behind to Bayern Munich Women’s top goalscorer, this season’s second-top scorer in the Champions League…?
For a long period in United’s 2-3 quarter-final first-leg defeat to Bayern Munich, Manchester United seemed capable of defying the inevitable answer. Twice, they rallied, centre-back Maya Le Tissier’s converted penalty restoring parity after Bayern striker Pernille Harder’s opening goal after 98 seconds, and full-back Hanna Lundkvist heading home a second equaliser five minutes after Harder restored Bayern Munich’s lead in the 71st minute with another ball in behind United’s backline.
Advertisement
But once is hard, twice is Harder and third is Japan forward Momoko Tanikawa with a third sneaking into goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce’s far corner because Jess Park wasn’t looking over her shoulder and Ziggioti Olme was too late to clock her run into the box. So Bayern return home with a goal-advantage and the away fans are singing “football’s coming home” in Old Trafford’s away section.
Advertisement
How you square this depends on your United orientation.
This was not a tactical masterclass, but it was not a disaster-class either. United looked best when they relied on short passing and tight connections, as was the case when Leah Schuller won United’s penalty following a short, sharp sequence between Park and Hinata Miyazawa. A few times United used Bayern’s shape to regain possession. Once Melvine Malard put Bayern’s defence on their backside after United realised Miyazawa couldn’t be the only outlet for attack.
Yet, multiple times United’s defensive line was pulled apart because Harder ran one way, then another. The fullbacks kept forgetting space is left when they vacate it. Of United’s 46% possession, they registered 15 touches in Bayern’s box compared to Bayern’s 24 in theirs. For the third successive match, the final third became a Bermuda Triangle for decision-making. At full-time, Bayern head coach Jose Barcala described United’s possession as a time that his side didn’t “suffer”. “We were still comfortable in the uncomfortable,” he said.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Twice, though, United recovered. Despite defensive naivety. Despite Harder. That resilience – not least after 98 seconds – deserves lauding.
But here is where your orientation of United is required: Whether you see United as an ongoing rendering of resilience, an underdog in a new ecosystem keeping the heartbeat of a precarious tie still very much beating.
Or Manchester United, the Gary Neville-voiced version. The version that doesn’t win just one of seven matches against their top four Women’s Super League (WSL) rivals in all competitions this season (three of 16 if stretched to last). The version that should not keep finding itself on the wrong side of the Big Game Margins.
Champions League quarter-finals are all about margins and in them Bayern were simply more. More robust, more physical, more savvy, more secure. Bayern have graced this stage before. Eight times in fact, seven more times than United for those counting. At which point the time arrives to mention the default qualifier: That the last time there was a Champions League quarter-final at Old Trafford (the men’s tie against Barcelona in April 2019), United Women were in their first season of existence since their 2005 disbandment, rampaging through England’s second-tier. Bayern Munich were in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Harder was scoring 31 goals for Wolfsburg, reaching a Champions League quarter-final and winning the Fraun-Bundesliga.
Advertisement
Advertisement
And yet, there comes the gnawing. Because it’s difficult to keep making excuses. To keep reminding oneself of the distance travelled when, in the quiet spaces between, lurks the inkling that perhaps even greater lengths might have been travelled if there’d been just a little more investment, a little more care, a little more time to be on this stage and not forget that Harder — a two-time UEFA Player of the Year and 2019-20 Champions League Forward of the Season — is good at running in behind and making you bleed. Just a little more more from the people capable of providing it.
Instead, for successive seasons, United are staring down a defining juncture with a squad at breaking point. Defender Dominique Janssen and January signing Ellen Wangerheim joined full-back Anna Sandberg, forward Leah Galton and midfielder Ella Toone on the sidelines this week. So winger Fridolina Rolfo is playing left-back. Lisa Naalsund is trying to cover midfield. Miyazawa, who returned to Manchester after lifting the Asia Cup with Japan in Australia (a 24-hour flight and an 11-hour time difference) on Tuesday, is waltzing back into the starting XI the next day. Striker Elisabeth Terland, the only real attacking option on United’s bench, is unavailable because she’s exhausted and league leaders City await on Saturday in a match that could see United’s one-point lead over third-place Chelsea in the WSL table wiped out.
All of which beckons memories of the final weeks of last season, when United – still in the running for a second-place finish in the league and an FA Cup trophy – failed to win any of their last five matches and slipped to third in the league, starting with a goalless league draw away to West Ham before unravelling into 0-1 to Chelsea, 2-2 against City and 3-4 to Arsenal in the league and 0-3 to Chelsea at Wembley.
Advertisement
“The second leg will take us to the depths,” said United head coach Marc Skinner in Wednesday’s post-match press conference. “But if there’s anything I know about this team, it’s that that’s almost where we’ve had to live this year.”
Advertisement
There are congratulations in order for making it this far. A first-ever quarter-final in a debut European season. A tie that is still very much alive against one of Europe’s best. Still second in the WSL. But what is the plan to ensure United make it here next season? And further after that? Or, maybe, just to not have the team living in those depths perennially?
“I love this team, but we also are progressing at a speed where we’ve got to keep catching teams that have already had many years on us,” said Skinner. “I honestly think we aren’t too far away. I know the plan. We’ve talked about it internally. We have to recruit the right players to make sure we have the depth in these areas to go toe-toe with the best in Europe.
Advertisement
“City, Chelsea, Arsenal won’t stop. So if you pause for a second, you lose ground. We know that’s the way forward is to recruit better players for more experience. It’s the experience they get you over the line.”
The next two matches will be critical in doing so.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan shed light on the extensive level of preparation Rishabh Pant is undergoing with Yuvraj Singh ahead of the crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain is at a delicate stage in his career, especially after a poor IPL 2025 campaign after coming in as the most expensive player in the competition’s history.
Rishabh Pant has had a stunning slump in white-ball cricket in recent years. He has been a back-up wicket-keeper in the ODI setup, with only one appearance in the last three and a half years. The southpaw lost his place in the T20I team shortly after the T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, with the likes of Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson taking over.
Yuvraj Singh, who has closely worked with the likes of Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma, and shaped their careers, was seen recently working with Rishabh Pant as well.
“It is very important that Rishabh Pant gets to bat during the powerplay. Nicholas Pooran has batted at No.3 for them, but Rishabh Pant must be locked in batting at No.3 so that he gets to bat in the powerplay. So, I believe that just lock it. After he worked with Yuvraj Singh, I spoke to Yuvi, and Yuvi told me that more than technical aspects, he worked with Rishabh on the mental side of the game. 3-4 hour sessions were dedicated to just talking,” Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
Rishabh Pant has not played competitive cricket since January 2026, when he led Delhi in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy. He was part of the Team India ODI squad for the home series against New Zealand, but sustained an injury during a practice session ahead of the first ODI.
“He always seemed to be under pressure last year” – Irfan Pathan urges Rishabh Pant to enjoy his cricket in IPL 2026
Rishabh Pant struggled with the bat as well as a captain over the course of IPL 2025. The left-handed batter was often seen arguing with teammates, and having intense discussions in the dugout, which did not help his case, on top of the price tag pressure.
Advertisement
“There will be a lot of responsibility on Rishabh Pant. We will have to see what he does to get this team qualified. Whatever I have seen of him so far, he looks to be more fit and focused. He has spent 4-5 days with Yuvraj Singh as well. Now we will have to see how he brings those learnings onto the field. He always seemed to be under pressure last year. It seemed that he was not enjoying cricket. He needs to enjoy cricket,” Irfan Pathan said.
Rishabh Pant’s credentials were recently questioned by former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, but Irfan Pathan believes that the wicket-keeper has done more than enough to earn his reputation.
“Rishabh Pant has done well in this league, he has an average of 34 and a strike rate of around 150, and scored 3500 runs. This shows that you have shown your dominance in this league. The performances are there, match-winning innings are there, but it has to be taken further,” he added.
Rishabh Pant had not batted during LSG’s last practice game on March 24, but he is expected to hold the No.3 slot for the franchises in the upcoming season.
;)
You must be logged in to post a comment Login