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Blakely, Pease Tie In Night One Thriller At 2026 U.S. Gymnastics Championships

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A fierce battle took shape on Friday at the 2026 U.S. Gymnastics Championships. Claire Pease and Skye Blakely tied for the lead after Friday night’s competition in Phoenix, setting up a highly contested Sunday finale in the Valley of the Sun.

Pease, the 2024 U.S. Junior champion and Blakely, a two-time World Team Champion, both delivered exemplary routines in the final rotation to share the lead. First-year senior Charleigh Bullock followed close behind, scoring a huge 55.400 in her first national championships as a senior gymnast.

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Defending U.S. Champion and 2024 Olympic gold medalist Hezly Rivera finished in fourth, overcoming a significant deficit after falling on the uneven bars. 2024 Olympic teammate Jade Carey finished in fifth in her first U.S. Championships since the Paris Olympic Games.

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U.S. Championships All-Around Standings

1. Skye Blakely & Claire Pease: 55.600

3. Charleigh Bullock: 55.400

4. Hezly Rivera: 55.000

5. Jade Carey: 54.400

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For Blakely, the result almost elicited tears – “I almost cried a little bit,” she said to reporters after the meet. Today’s meet marked Blakely’s first elite all-around competition since she tore her Achilles tendon at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials.

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Pease, a club teammate of Hezly Rivera, attributed today’s successes to her “positive attitude.” Like Blakely, Pease has a redemption arc of her own: in 2025, she missed an opportunity to make the 2025 World Championship team due to an untimely injury.

While scores carry over to Sunday’s finale, the title race remains highly contested. Should Rivera execute a comeback, the 18-year-old will join an elite list of American gymnasts to win multiple U.S. titles. Any other winner would join the history books as the U.S. national champion.

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Here’s how the action unfolded on Friday in Phoenix.

The Phoenix Play-By Play

Rotation One: Blakely, Esponda Shine

Skye Blakely began her competition on uneven bars, an event where she is the reigning U.S National Champion and finalist at the 2025 World Championships. Blakely swung with power and difficulty to start the meet, cleanly landing her dismount for a strong 14.200.

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First-year senior elite Charleigh Bullock showed jitters in her U.S. Championships senior debut, bouncing out of her vault landing. Despite the landing error, Bullock received a strong score of 14.000 due to strong execution in her twists. Next up, U.S. Classic All-Around Champion Reese Esponda. While Esponda had directional issues on her vault, Esponda nailed the landing for a near-perfect stick, earning a 14.200 to tie with Blakely for the lead.

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Reigning U.S. Champion and Olympic gold medalist Hezly Rivera’s night started on floor exercise, an event she won at the 2025 championships. Rivera showed strong power and artistry in her exercise, but struggled with endurance on her final tumbling pass. Nonetheless, a score of 14.000 marked a strong start.

In her first U.S. championships since winning two medals at the Paris Olympic games, Phoenix native Jade Carey returned to the beam. Though Carey began her routine with tentativeness, she showed her trademark composure to deliver a hit exercise. Carey clapped in celebration, opening her homecoming with a hit.

One of the top contenders for the AA title, reigning Pan American floor champion Claire Pease opened her night on floor exercise. Pease struggled with excess power on her landings, but showed remarkable flexibility in her dance elements.

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Top Five After One: 1. Reese Esponda & Skye Blakely: 14.200, 3. Charleigh Bullock & Hezly Rivera: 14.000, 5. Lavi Crain: 13.950

Rotation Two: Bullock Pulls Ahead, Rivera Holds Steady

Heading to her second-consecutive ‘legs event,’ Rivera powered through the vault after her strong opening on floor exercise. Despite a recent hamstring “aggravation,” Rivera delivered another hit exercise to score a 14.200.

Minutes later, Bullock took to the uneven bars – an event where she is the 2025 U.S. Junior champion. Bullock quickly proved why, nailing her release moves and sticking her dismount for a 14.250, the highest bars score of the night. Two routines in, the 16-year-old took the lead over the defending national champion.

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Over on the floor, former Olympic floor champion Jade Carey took to her signature event. Carey nailed her first three landings, only to bounce out of her final pass – a simple double back; perhaps, too easy for the three-time Olympic medalist. “She looks exceptionally better than [the] U.S. Classic,” commentator John Roethlisberger reflected. Carey received a strong 13.750, the highest floor score since Carey began her comeback.

Needing to capitalize on her two strongest events, Skye Blakely mounted the beam. Hitting her opening standing full twist, Blakely nearly fell off the beam on her acrobatic series but found her rhythm over the course of the routine. Despite the wobbles, she scored a strong 13.750. A world finalist on beam, Blakely has long battled with consistency.

At the halfway mark, Bullock took the lead, with Esponda dropping to fifth due to limited difficulty in her uneven bars routine. With less than a point separating the top five competitors, the all-around race quickly heated up.

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Top Five After Two: 1. Charleigh Bullock: 28.250, 2. Hezly Rivera: 28.200, 3. Skye Blakely: 27.950, 4. Claire Pease: 27.500, 5. Reese Esponda: 27.300

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Rotation Three: Bullock Holds Strong

Sitting just outside the top five in the all-around race, Jade Carey went to vault, an event where she is a World Champion and Olympic medalist. Competing lower difficulty due to her recent comeback, Carey cruised through her two vaults to take a comfortable lead in the vault standings.

Heading to the beam, Reese Esponda needed to hit before heading to her strongest event, floor exercise. Esponda almost came off the beam on two occasions, but showed incredible fight to salvage the routine. Though she scored just a 12.350, she avoided counting a fall.

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Entering the rotation in third, Skye Blakely returned to the elite floor for the first time since tearing her Achilles tendon at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. Nailing her intricate double front pass, Blakely performed three front-tumbling passes to minimize wear on her ankles.

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Next up: Claire Pease and Hezly Rivera on the uneven bars. After two jittery routines to start her competition, Claire triumphed with a stick to rocket ahead of Blakely and Carey. Minutes later, Rivera hoped to follow her teammate’s lead. However, Rivera’s stellar start came to a halt after a fall on her new release move. She received just a 12.500, dropping her off the podium – for now.

Needing a 13.450 to maintain her all-around lead, Bullock went to the balance beam. Though one of the youngest in the field, Bullock carried herself with veteranlike focus, moving through her routine with confidence. Landing her difficult 2.5-twisting layout with ease, Bulllock let out a dramatic sigh of relief. She received a 13.700 – just like that, Bullock entered the final rotation ahead of three World or Olympic champions.

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Top Five After Three: 1. Charleigh Bullock: 41.950, 2. Claire Pease: 41.700, 3. Skye Blakely: 41.400, 4. Jade Carey: 41.050, 5. Hezly Rivera: 40.700

Rotation Four:

Finishing her night on her weakest event, the uneven bars, Jade Carey did what Jade Carey does best: hit. While she committed form errors in her transition skills, the Olympian nailed her new dismount to the loudest crowd roar of the night. “She’s such a gamer,” Rothlisberger remarked. In her first championships since 2024, Carey was back in contention.

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Next up of the contenders: Skye Blakely on vault. Known for her power and execution, Blakely could vault into the top spot with a strong landing. Hitting her vault to near perfection, Blakely received a 9.4 execution score – the best of the night, launching the 21-year-old into the lead.

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Needed nearly a 14.000 to take the lead from Blakely, Pease finished her night on balance beam. With some of the most intricate beam work in the competition, Pease did exactly what she needed. Putting her “best foot forward,” Pease received a huge 13.900 – putting her in a dead heat for the lead.

Up next, Hezly Rivera. Before saluting the judges, Rivera embraced her coach Anna Liukin for a long-winded hug. After a disastrous bar routine, the Olympian had to hit. Floating through her series and leaps with confidence, Rivera closed her competition with a spectacular effort to stay in contention.

Needing a 13.650 to take the lead, Charleigh Bullock looked to finish her stellar debut with a hit. Despite lower difficulty, Bullock showcased impeccable leaps and twisting form, earning a strong 13.450 to clinch third place behind Blakely and Pease.

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Though U.S. Classic champion Reese Esponda dropped in the standings after a disappointing beam routine, she closed the competition with one of the night’s highlights on floor. Esponda nailed her highly difficult tumbling, soaring to the highest floor score of the night.

Next Up: Day Two in Phoenix

The athletes will enjoy a rest day tomorrow before returning to Mortgage Matchup Center for the second and final day of competition. On Sunday, national champions will be crowned.

Day two of the 2026 U.S. Championships begins at 6 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on NBC and Peacock.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

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Top QB prospect Christopher Vargas commits to Ohio State

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The helmet of Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith sits on the sideline prior to the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025.The helmet of Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith sits on the sideline prior to the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025.

Ohio State got a commitment Saturday from five-star prospect Christopher Vargas, ranked among the top quarterbacks in the Class of 2028.

Vargas, entering his junior season at St. John’s Prep in Danvers, Mass., selected the Buckeyes over Michigan, Oregon, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Boston College, Miami, Texas A&M, Southern California, Washington and other programs which have shown interest. He cannot sign with a school earlier than December 2027.

“Just the coaching staff and the place they’re at, the culture, they have everything that is great for me and the right fit for me,” Vargas, who announced his commitment on social media, told Rivals.com. “I think Ohio State is the place that can develop me the best.”

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Vargas, listed at 6-foot-4 1/2 and 195 pounds, is a five-star prospect, the No. 6 player in the Class of 2028, the No. 1 quarterback and the top player in Massachusetts, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

He is the No. 4 player, No. 2 QB and a four-star prospect in 247Sports’ own rankings of the Class of 2028, while ESPN has Vargas at No. 14 overall and No. 1 pocket passer in the Class of 2028.

Vargas passed for 1,857 yards and 24 touchdowns despite missing three games due to injury in 2025, after throwing for 1,311 yards and 17 TDs as a freshman.

Ohio State received a commitment in July from the Class of 2028 from wide receiver Jett Harrison, the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison Sr. Jett’s older brother, also named Marvin, starred as a receiver at Ohio State and was a first-round draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2024.

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Jett Harrison is a rising junior at St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia. The 247Sports composite lists him as the No. 2 wide receiver and No. 4 player overall in the 2028 class.

–Field Level Media

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BBC Sport quiz: Who am I? Guess Premier League footballer No 20

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Welcome to our Who am I? game.

The rules are simple. Each day there’s a new footballer and the challenge is to guess who they are in as few attempts as possible.

After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. The fewer clues you need to get the right answer, the more points you score.

Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.

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So take part and return for more tomorrow.

Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Huzaifah Khan.

After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.

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Haway The Podcast | REACTION | Sunderland 2-0 RC Lens | Sacré Bleu!

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Sunderland put in an utterly dominant and convincing performance away in France against RC Lens, a side who have just won a major trophy, pushed PSG at the top of Ligue 1 last season, and will play in the Champions League in the coming campaign… so are we right to feel a little bit chuffed about how the Lads did? Join Gav, Kelvin, James and Andrew as they dissect all the action, including:

  • Sunderland breezed through that first half with Xhaka and Meunier in the starting eleven, in what appeared to be a considerably higher tempo display from our players…

  • Chris Rigg, olé olé olé – some great moments from the young lad!

  • What does this all say for the lead up to the first game in the Prem?

All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode of our free daily show.

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Want to get in touch with us? You can drop us an email at HawayThePodcastSAFC@Gmail.com, or you can contact us via social media – we’re @RokerReport on almost every platform. For your daily SAFC fan-written content, head over to RokerReport.SBNation.com

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Premier League: Arsenal lands Bruno Guimaraes ahead of title defense | Football News

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Arsenal completed the signing of Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle on Saturday.


The Premier League champion paid a reported 75 million pounds ($101 million) for Guimaraes, who signed a long-term deal at the Emirates.


“I’m very excited,” Guimaraes said. “I’m at the point of my life where I need a challenge like this. I want to win trophies, I want to make history and I think I’m in the right place to do it.” 
Newcastle did not want to sell its captain, but the 28-year-old Guimaraes had told the club he wanted to leave.


Newcastle signed Guimaraes from Ligue 1 club Lyon in January 2022 and he swiftly established himself as a talisman for the team, as well as one of the most influential midfielders in the Premier League.

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Guimaraes helped Newcastle win the English League Cup in 2025 – the club’s first major domestic trophy in 70 years – and also played a pivotal role in the team twice qualifying for the Champions League.


He joins an Arsenal midfield anchored by Declan Rice as the team bids for back-to-back Premier League titles.


Guimaraes has made 48 appearances for Brazil, including at the recent World Cup. He won a gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

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“It’s massive what I have done so far, but I want more. I want to win for Arsenal. I want to win more trophies in my career, and I think I’m in the right place, at my peak at 28 years old,” Guimaraes said.


“I want to put my name in the club history. Someday, when I leave, I want players to come here and say I want to do exactly what Bruno did for the club.” 
Guimaraes’ departure is a further blow to Newcastle after star players Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali also left during this transfer window. Eddie Howe stepped down as coach at the end of last month after nearly five years in charge.


Howe was replaced by Matthias Jaissle.


“This is one of the toughest decisions of my life,” Guimaraes said in a statement on Newcastle’s website. “When I arrived, the club was in a challenging position and I am incredibly proud of what we achieved together. I fell in love with this place. I really mean that.

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“This move is very tough because Newcastle means so much to me, but I wanted to experience something new in my life. I feel ready for a new challenge for myself and my family. I had a very positive conversation with Matthias Jaissle, and I leave knowing the club is in very good hands.” 
Guimaraes will continue his tradition of wearing shirt number 39 – the dispatch number of his father’s taxi in Rio de Janeiro.


“It means everything to me. I have the tattoo of the 39 as well,” Guimaraes said. “My father was a taxi driver in Brazil for more than 20 years. The taxi, of course, gave me everything for my family, the place we live, the food, my clothes, everything.


“So when I got the chance to sign to a top club in Brazil, I asked my father which number I should take and he said 39. I was upset a little bit because I wanted to take the 97. He said: No, no, take the 39. The 39 gave you everything.

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Aaron McKenna vs Etinosa Oliha live scorecard and fight result

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A new world champion is set to be crowned this evening as Aaron McKenna and Etinosa Oliha meet for the vacant IBF middleweight title.

McKenna has risen up the ranks over the past few years, and claimed the biggest win of his career so far when he defeated Liam Smith by unanimous decision at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

It has seen him put together an unbeaten record of 20-0, with 10 of those wins by knockout, and he will look to add to that tally when he collides with Oliha tonight.

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Oliha is also unbeaten, holding a record of 22-0 with 10 knockouts, but has never competed outside of Germany or Italy ahead of tonight’s battle at the 3Arena in Dublin.

The IBF belt became vacant after former champion Janibek Alimkhanuly was stripped of the title, with McKenna and Oliha bidding to join the other champions in the division, as Denzel Bentley holds the WBO crown, Carlos Adamas is the WBC titleholder, and Erislandy Lara is in possession of the WBA strap.

Stay with Boxing News for a live scorecard and final fight result.

Aaron McKenna vs Etinosa Oliha live scorecard

This is a Boxing News live scorecard and not the official score from the judges.

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  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total
McKenna 10 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 118
Oliha 9 10 10 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 110

McKenna vs Oliha fight result

McKenna UD. Scorecards (118-110, 117-111, 116-112)

It wasn’t the most exciting of fights but it resulted in a one-sided winner. After a cagey opening few minutes, McKenna took over and dominated the action without having to go through all of his gears. Oliha found himself on the backfoot and struggled to impose himself on the contest, not throwing enough shots to warrant winning any rounds after the initial stages. As the fight entered the closing stages, McKenna went in search for a stoppage but in the end had to settle for the dominant points victory, as he claimed the vacant IBF middleweight title and became Ireland’s newest world champion.

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Wales must learn from Bosnia and Herzegovina loss in Euros bid – Ian Rush

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A number of Welsh players have secured moves during the summer going into the 2026-27 season.

Goalkeeper Karl Darlow left Leeds United to join Manchester United while Harry Wilson, arguably the star performer of the Bellamy era, moved from Fulham to Leeds.

Liverpool youngster Lewis Koumas, who scored his first international goal against Ghana in June, is also expected to secure another loan switch away from Anfield having had spells with Birmingham City and Hull City last season.

“I’ve seen Lewis quite a lot in pre-season, he looks very, very good,” said Rush, who scored 28 times in 73 appearances for his country.

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“Harry Wilson, he came on in the second half, he was a major influence for Leeds in beating Liverpool.

“We’re looking forward, but we’ve got to keep it as a team, it’s up to them to do that, but I can see us doing alright.”

Wales start their Nations League campaign against Portugal in Lisbon on 24 September and face Denmark in Copenhagen three days later.

Bellamy’s side then host Norway and Denmark at Cardiff City Stadium in October.

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The final two matches of the campaign take place in November with Wales travelling to Norway before hosting Portugal.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold: Will Real Madrid career be revived by Jose Mourinho?

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Real Madrid paid Liverpool a reported 10m euros (£8.4m) for Alexander-Arnold, releasing him from his contract on 1 June 2025, a month early.

But an eagerly awaited debut campaign never reached the heights many expected.

Two separate injuries affected him. A hamstring issue last September sidelined him for seven weeks, while a thigh problem in December kept him out for a further two months.

That denied Alexander-Arnold the sustained run of games needed to build momentum and a connection with supporters.

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Overall, he featured in 35 of Real Madrid’s 62 matches across all competitions last season, but was not first choice, starting 27 times as he shared the right-back role with club legend Dani Carvajal.

However, the defensive doubts that plagued him throughout his Liverpool career remained part of the conversation in Madrid – even as his quality in possession continued to stand out.

He showed glimpses of his undoubted ability, but there was a feeling among some supporters that they had not yet seen enough of Alexander-Arnold to judge his impact.

By the end of a season which had Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa in charge of Real as they failed to win a major trophy, he had begun to show signs of his best form – finishing the campaign strongly before thanking supporters for their backing in a message on social media.

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“Madridistas you have welcomed me with open arms.” he wrote. “From the first day I arrived you have had my back. It took me a few months to find rhythm and settle in the new environment but I feel completely at home now.

“I will take a good break and put the work in over the summer. I promise we will bring trophies back to this amazing club next season.”

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Mason Mount suffers injury scare as Manchester United impress in PSG draw

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Michael Carrick admitted he had to be “careful” with Mason Mount after the England midfielder handed Manchester United an injury scare in their friendly draw with Paris St Germain.

Mount has had a torrid time with injuries since signing from Chelsea in a £55m deal three years ago, starting only 25 Premier League games for United in that time.

The 27-year-old has been successfully deployed by Carrick in a central midfield role during pre-season, leading to speculation that United may not make another expected signing in that department.

But Mount played only 18 minutes of Saturday’s 1-1 draw against the European champions in Gothenburg before being replaced by Scotland international Tyler Fletcher.

“He (Mount) got kicked. We just wanted to be careful and look after him,” United head coach Carrick told reporters in Sweden.

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“We’ve been lucky with injuries so far, so we wanted to be careful.”

Post-match video footage showed Mount walking freely on to the United bus without the aid of a protective boot or knee support.

United were stunned within two minutes at the Ullevi Stadium when Liverpool target Ibrahim Mbaye punished slack marking to put PSG ahead.

Bryan Mbeumo scored the equaliser for Manchester United against PSG
Bryan Mbeumo scored the equaliser for Manchester United against PSG (Getty)

Bryan Mbeumo fired United level after 32 minutes following good work from Amad Diallo, the Cameroon forward’s third goal in two games after his match-winning double against Atletico Madrid.

United meet Leeds in a Dublin friendly on Wednesday before coming up against AC Milan and their former manager Ruben Amorim next Saturday.

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The Red Devils open their Premier League campaign at Hull on 22 August.

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Ohtani gets Dodgers past Diamondbacks in extras to snap seven-game skid

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PHOENIX — Shohei Ohtani brought home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning on an infield single and the Los Angeles Dodgers snapped a seven-game losing streak by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1 on Saturday night.

The Dodgers won despite Edwin Diaz blowing his second consecutive save after losing a 1-0 lead in the ninth.

Los Angeles rallied with two outs in the 10th when Hunter Feduccia walked and automatic runner Kyle Tucker moved to third on a wild pitch. Ohtani followed with a grounder to the right side that first baseman Tim Tawa dove to knock down, but couldn’t recover to make an out.

Jack Dreyer earned his first save of the season, retiring the final two outs by fielding a comebacker from Ryan Waldschmidt and starting a double play.

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The D-backs trailed 1-0 entering the ninth, but Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll connected for back-to-back triples off closer Diaz to tie it. Diaz recovered to retire the next three batters, stranding Carroll at third to send the game to extra innings.

L.A.’s Kyle Tucker hit a solo homer to break a scoreless tie in the eighth, driving the second pitch he saw from reliever Jonathan Loáisiga over the right-field wall.

Arizona left 15 runners on base.

Arizona’s Brandon Pfaadt and Los Angeles’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto were locked in an impressive pitcher’s duel for most of the evening, with both right-handers breezing through the opposing lineup.

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Pfaadt made it through seven innings, giving up just two hits and two walks while striking out two. He has a 1.32 ERA over eight starts since returning from Triple-A Reno.

The Diamondbacks managed to drive up Yamamoto’s pitch count into the 80s by the sixth inning, which started with a Gabriel Moreno single and a Ketel Marte walk. Yamamoto retired the next two batters, but was then replaced by Evan Phillips after throwing 107 pitches.

Yamamoto gave up three walks and three hits while striking out six over 5 2/3 innings.

Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (10-4, 2.71 ERA) was set to pitch Sunday vs. Dodgers LHP Justin Wrobleski (11-3, 3.31).

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Craig Williams clinches sixth Scobie Breasley Medal in 2024-25 season

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Smiling person wearing a blue helmet and red-and-blue jacket, raising a gloved hand toward the camera outdoors

Champion jockey Craig Williams has achieved his sixth win in the prestigious Scobie Breasley Medal, recognising outstanding riding in Victoria.

Williams’ achievement comes two decades after his initial award in 2006, followed by subsequent victories in 2007, 2008, and 2009. His last Scobie Breasley Medal win was in 2017.

The Scobie Breasley Medal is voted on by Racing Victoria stewards, who assign points on a 3-2-1 basis at all Victorian metropolitan race meetings throughout the season.

With one month left in the competition, Williams trailed runner-up Jamie Mott by a single vote. He secured the medal by accumulating 11 votes in July, finishing five ahead of Mott with a final tally of 52 to 47.

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Damian Lane, who rode internationally for parts of the season, finished third with 37 votes. Daniel Stackhouse was next with 31, and apprentice Luke Cartwright rounded out the top five with 29 votes.

Williams was also named the leading Victorian metropolitan winner for the 2024-25 season, with 65 victories to his name.

Half Yours, the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup winner, was voted the Victorian Racehorse of the Year by a panel of racing officials, journalists, and broadcasters.

The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained stayer Half Yours finished ahead of Cox Plate heroine Via Sistina and the Godolphin-owned pair Tentyris and Observer.

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The McEvoy father-and-son training partnership also secured the Most Outstanding Training Performance award for their Cups double success. They prepared Half Yours to become the 13th horse to win the double, surpassing Cindy Alderson for her efforts with Jigsaw, who won seven of its eight starts that season, including races in Victoria, New Zealand, and Western Australia.

Calvin McEvoy received the Colin Alderson Rising Star Award, which honours a Victorian licensed trainer under 40 years of age whose career is on an upward trajectory.

Praised for his professionalism and media engagement, Calvin McEvoy played a pivotal role in the family stable preparing 91 winners nationally, including seven Stakes winners, at a strike rate of 18%.

Jamie Mott and Logan Bates collected the two peer-voted awards: the Victorian Jockeys’ Association’s Damien Oliver Most Valuable Jockey and the VJA Rising Star, as determined by their fellow jockeys.

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These honours capped a significant season for both riders. Bates achieved his maiden Group 1 success, while Mott posted a career-best number of winners to claim his first Victorian Jockeys’ Premiership with 128 victories.

Cartwright was recognised for his breakout season, which included 70 wins and a maiden Stakes success. He took home both the Victorian Apprentice Jockeys’ Premiership and the Metropolitan Apprentice Jockeys’ Premiership for the first time.

The Tommy Corrigan Medal, voted on by RV Stewards for the best rides at every jumps meeting, also saw a first-time winner in Dean Parker, in his second full season since relocating from New Zealand.

Ciaron Maher continued his dominance of the Metropolitan Trainers’ Premiership, earning the Fred Hoysted Medal for the sixth successive year. Maher also won the Victorian Trainers’ Premiership, concluding a memorable 2024-25 season that produced 220 winners across the state, headlined by Group 1 successes with Observer, Pride Of Jenni, Jimmysstar, and Light Infantry Man. Consider the betting markets for the race.

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