Man Utd stepped up their pre-season preperations with a superb performance in a 5-0 win against Rosenborg.

Michael Carrick praised Manchester United’s young guns for expressing themselves on the pitch after they turned on the style to beat Rosenborg 5-0 in a pre-season friendly in Norway.

Carrick again started with a strong side in Trondheim, but introduced two youngsters at the break in full-backs Jaydan Kamason and Harry Amass. Kamason laid on two assists, while Amass registered an assist and a goal.

Eight more youngsters followed on the hour mark, with Fletcher twins Jack and Tyler catching the eye in midfield. Jacob Devaney again came on at centre-back and netted from a corner, while winger Ethan Williams rounded off the scoring.

The youngsters had looked good in the second half against Wrexham last week without finding a goal, but they were ruthless against Rosenborg and played some excellent football.

“That’s the best place to be as a footballer, when you’re in that zone and you’re confident, and that’s that’s my job to try and get the players in that frame of mind,” said Carrick.

“The senior players at this stage, they’re finding their way, but you can see they’re in a good place and kind of getting used to having good results over a period of time, which is good.

“And the younger players, when you see them expressing themselves and being themselves and keep pushing themselves to be better, I think some of the play in the second half was really, really good, and I was delighted to see that from them.

“They’ve all got potential in different ways, and you want them to fulfil it and keep pushing themselves, and they certainly did that.”

Radek Vitek got the longest of any United player, lasting just over 70 minutes before being replaced by Dermot Mee, and Carrick was pleased the defensive effort.

“Radek got good minutes. Just over 70, so really, really pleased with what he did today,” said the United boss. “And Dermot coming on and towards the end was nice to get him on the pitch, so I thought we defended pretty well as a team for the most part.

“A couple of little bits earlier on that we had to work out, but I thought we defended well as a team and protected the goalkeepers largely. Clean sheets is a beautiful thing.”

Spain’s Ferran Torres (7) kisses the trophy after the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Ferran Torres scored what will almost certainly be remembered as the most important goal of his career when his extra-time strike secured Spain’s second FIFA World Cup title with a 1-0 victory over Argentina. Days later, however, the Barcelona forward found himself smiling for a very different reason after Princess Leonor reminded him of a promise he had made before the tournament.Spain’s World Cup-winning squad received an official welcome from the Spanish royal family at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid following their triumphant return from North America, where Luis de la Fuente’s side defeated defending champions Argentina through Torres’ decisive 106th-minute winner at the New York New Jersey Stadium.The reception featured King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía greeting each member of the squad individually. While the occasion celebrated Spain’s historic triumph, one brief exchange between Princess Leonor and Torres quickly became one of the day’s most talked-about moments after videos circulated widely across social media.

Princess Leonor remembers Torres’ World Cup promise

As Torres approached the royal family during the greeting line, Princess Leonor, wearing a custom Spain jersey featuring the number 26 in tribute to the 2026 World Cup, surprised the striker with an unexpected question, proving she had clearly followed the team’s journey closely enough to remember such a specific promise.Once lip-read and later reported by Spanish newspaper Marca, the heir to the Spanish throne asked the Barcelona forward: “Weren’t you going to shave off all your hair?”Caught slightly off guard, Torres immediately smiled before replying: “No, no!”The light-hearted exchange prompted laughter from Princess Leonor and quickly became one of the most widely shared clips from Spain’s celebrations.According to Marca, Leonor’s playful remark referred to a public promise Torres had made before the World Cup, when he vowed to shave off all of his hair if Spain went on to lift the trophy.Although Torres fulfilled the far more important part of that prediction by helping Spain become world champions, the dramatic haircut now appears unlikely to happen.

Spain’s Ferran Torres celebrates with the trophy after winning the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Match-winning goal capped unforgettable tournament

Torres’ winning goal against Argentina ensured his name became permanently etched into Spanish football history.After a tense final that remained goalless through regular time, Spain finally found the breakthrough in the 106th minute of extra time when Torres converted from close range to seal a 1-0 victory and deliver La Roja’s second men’s World Cup title.The goal completed a dominant performance from Spain, who controlled possession throughout the contest and prevented Lionel Messi’s Argentina from registering a single shot on target during normal time before lifting the trophy.

Spain’s Ferran Torres (7) celebrates scoring their first goal during the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

For Torres, it represented arguably the defining moment of his professional career, scoring the goal that brought the World Cup back to Spain 16 years after the country’s first triumph in South Africa.

Several Spain stars still have promises to fulfil

While Torres appears to have backed away from his promise, several of his Spain teammates are still expected to honour unusual pledges made before the tournament.According to reports, Marc Cucurella, Alex Baena, Borja Iglesias and Yeremy Pino have committed to getting tattoos of head coach Luis de la Fuente’s face following Spain’s triumph.Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal promised to grow a beard and moustache for three weeks and also pledged to give away 100 pairs of earphones to supporters through a fan draw.Midfielders Gavi and Pedri are also expected to fulfil their own bets by dyeing their hair in bold new colours.Whether every promise is eventually carried out remains to be seen, but Princess Leonor’s well-timed reminder ensured at least one of Spain’s World Cup wagers returned to the spotlight.

Letton-Jones, from Y Felinheli in Gwynedd, has albinism, a congenital condition that severely affects her sight, so she has to count her strokes to know when she is approaching the wall of the swimming pool.

That has not stopped Letton-Jones from following her dream to reach the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles.

After narrowly missing out on the Paris Games in 2024, the teenager was invited onto the Aquatics GB Para-swimming world-class programme.

Letton-Jones won silver in the women’s 100m backstroke S12 on her World Para-swimming championships debut in 2025.

Man Utd won 5-0 against Rosenborg in their second pre-season game thanks to a great finish from Shea Lacey.

Shea Lacey hardly raised a smile after firing Manchester United into the lead against Rosenborg.

If he were any more laid back, he would be horizontal. The youngster did not celebrate any of his goals in academy games last season, but his nonchalant celebration may be dropped if he scores at Old Trafford in the new campaign.

It’s increasingly likely that Lacey will be handed chances to score his first goal in front of United’s home support. It felt significant that he started against Rosenborg, and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

The youngster has already scored dozens of goals by cutting inside from the right and finishing with his left foot, so it felt inevitable that he would break the deadlock when he popped up in that scenario in the first half.

Lacey has more to his game than just quality in the final third though. It was interesting to spot United analyst Kaita Hasegawa nodding along as he tracked back to help Bryan Mbeumo win a turnover.

Lacey does not lack confidence, either. During the warm-up, he found the bottom corner with a first-time finish and walked off to juggle the ball to the halfway line. He made it look easy.

It’s understood the 19-year-old was backed by academy coaches ahead of pre-season to have a breakthrough 2026/2027, and he will vindicate that faith if he continues to perform well in friendlies over the coming weeks.

Lacey sent United on their way to a comfortable victory against Rosenborg in a much-improved performance after defeat to Wrexham last weekend.

Wrexham had a fitness edge over United in Helsinki. Rosenborg’s players were in even better condition given they are in the middle of their domestic season, though they fielded a weakened side against the Reds.

The Norwegians are struggling in the Eliteserien this term, and agreeing to a mid-season friendly against United was seen by their fans as an unwelcome distraction. The game also meant their next league fixture had to be rescheduled to Monday.

That is why the 21,000-capacity Lerkendal Stadion was half-empty. The reaction to the fixture locally in the middle of a disappointing campaign, combined with a lack of star names on show due to the World Cup, meant the attendance was much lower than when United played in a sold-out stadium in Trondheim two years ago.

The attendances over the last week suggest United have reached their saturation point in Scandinavia. There is huge support for United here, but perhaps four friendlies in this region in one summer have stretched it.

The positive was that United managed to give the local supporters who made the effort to attend something to cheer about. The Wrexham game was a snooze fest, but the Rosenborg clash turned out to be a goal fest.

Joshua Zirkzee danced around a Rosenborg defender and the goalkeeper to make it 2-0. The Dutchman had dropped into deep positions throughout but found the net when making a rare advanced run.

Zirkzee started down the middle again and Lacey played as the No.10. The Liverpool-born teenager has been compared to Phil Foden over the last few years and he now looks ready to be platformed like Foden was by Pep Guardiola.

Carrick did not make wholesale changes at half-time, opting to bring on only Harry Amass and Jaydan Kamason, but the make-up of the side was eventually changed on the hour mark.

The youngsters got in on the action, with Amass, Jacob Devaney and Ethan Williams all scoring. Kamason did all he could to impress Carrick in the second half by recording two assists with accurate crosses.

The conversation in the build-up to the game was all about whether JJ Gabriel would get onto the pitch, but the closest the 15-year-old got to the action was a second half warm up.

Gabriel should not be disheartened because United plan to give minutes this summer. The club have handled the teenager sensibly to this point by doing all they can to demonstrate there is a pathway to the first-team, including an introduction to Sir Alex Ferguson and invites into the directors’ box.

Although Gabriel was too young to play in the Premier League last season, there are now no restrictions on which competitions he can feature in, meaning the conversation about when he could make his competitive debut will only grow louder.

In the meantime, the likes of Lacey and Amass should be at the forefront of United fans’ minds ahead of the new campaign. Lacey is particularly exciting, looking primed to build on his positive first-team cameos from last season.

“Where has he been?” Gary Neville quipped on commentary when Lacey stuck the crossbar against Burnley in January. United won’t be hiding Lacey for much longer.

I had a play last night on the Royals and Tigers game, and to spoil any surprise, it was a loser. I took the Royals at +170 mostly because I felt like the line was way off. I still cashed the under, but I hope anyone who is serious about sports betting takes a look at that article. Despite it being a loss, I loved the play. There was a ton of value on the Royals, who lost 4-3. There are times you need to take shots, and this one rewarded me mentally, because I feel like I at least put myself in the right spot to make money. I’m hoping to actually get the money, physically, in today’s Astros and White Sox game.

The Houston Astros are still hanging in there, but the question if they are going to buy, sell, or stand pat in the next week has to be considered. For the season, they are four games under .500, but they are just two games back of the American League West division. That’s not exactly the position to be in if you plan to throw in the towel. Their best player, Yordan Alvarez, is having an MVP season, yet another reason to keep pushing and see if they can make the postseason.

Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez, right, hits a three-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Tuesday, July 6, 2021, in Houston.

They did trade away one of their starters already, but I don’t feel like that was a sign of the team trying to give up. I think it was more about their roster and salary than anything. Today, they are putting out Spencer Arrighetti on the mound. For the season, Arrighetti is 7-5 with a 4.34 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. He has been worse on the road with a 5.52 ERA. He also has allowed eight earned runs in both of his past two road starts. I’m thinking he might be coming out of whatever issues he had in June, though. In May, he had a 0.93 ERA, and in June he had a 9.00 ERA. So far, through three starts, he has allowed eight earned runs in four innings, and two earned runs in 11 innings covering two starts.

The Chicago White Sox were expected to be sellers, but this team has some heart and looks like they are piecing things together. Part of the reason sports are so fun is teams like the White Sox. A team that no one expected anything from this year, and they’ve turned it around to be in a playoff race. There is still a long way to go, and one injury could derail the whole thing, but you have to feel solid about how they’ve played and looked if you’re a Sox fan.

Tristan Peters, No. 29, of the Chicago White Sox runs to third base for a triple against the Athletics at Rate Field in Chicago, Ill., on July 10, 2026. (Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)

One of the brightest spots on this roster has been today’s starter, Davis Martin. For the season, Martin is 9-5 for the year with a 3.31 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. Martin has been elite at Guaranteed Rate Field this season with a 1.80 ERA. He has only allowed nine earned runs at home in 45 innings. And, five of those earned runs came in the last start against the Red Sox. Perhaps most impressive is that he has allowed just 33 walks all year, and only 10 have come at home.

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Baseball is a sport in which you usually do have the opportunity to follow the sharps and line movement fairly confidently. There aren’t a ton of public bettors loading up on teams. Sharp money tends to move these lines, and the line is moving in favor of the Astros. However, sharps don’t always win either. There is also a move where they will bet on one side, just to lower the line and get bigger money on the opposite side. I could see that happening here.

Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable meets on the mound with catcher Drew Romo, shortstop Colson Montgomery, first baseman Munetaka Murakami and second baseman Chase Meidroth during an MLB game at Rate Field in Chicago on May 13, 2026. (Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)

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If you don’t understand what that means, no worries. Basically, I think the White Sox are going to win this game. Martin is a better pitcher, in better form, and more reliable as a home starter. Arrighetti is bad on the road, and something has been wrong with him since June. It is possible that sharps saw some good value in the Astros, but now that the line is a lot lower, I think the Sox are the right side and could see money poured into them late. Give me the White Sox on the moneyline.

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For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024

Michael Kim shot a 12-under 59 on Friday at TPC Twin Cities to grab the lead

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For the fourth time in his NBA career, LeBron James is changing teams. After weighing pitches from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors, arguably the greatest player in NBA history has elected to play for… the Philadelphia 76ers.

It’s an outcome that would have felt almost inconceivable a month ago, but represents the culmination of a brief yet very effective roster facelift from new head of basketball operations Mike Gansey. The 76ers turned Paul George and two first-round picks into Jaylen Brown in a stunning trade with Boston last month. They split their mid-level exception across Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons.

Now, they land James for a minimum contract. That’s a no-brainer on their end, but what about LeBron’s? Does Philadelphia really make sense as his final NBA team? Below, the CBS Sports NBA staff will grade LeBron’s self-described “last decision.”

LeBron James picks the 76ers: Staff grades

Brad Botkin: B+

Five teams were in the hunt for LeBron. If we assign a letter grade to each, I believe the Timberwolves, from a pure basketball and championship-viability standpoint, were the A. I believe in Rudy Gobert‘s durability more than Joel Embiid‘s for obvious reasons. I like Minnesota’s shooting better. Anthony Edwards would’ve been right there with Giannis Antetokounmpo as the single best teammate available to James, and personally, I would give Edwards the edge. 

But no question the Sixers are stacked. And pretty deep. The first thing I think about is the regular-season leeway that this provides. Injuries are huge part of the regular-season equation, and having even one more All-Star-level player insulates a team like the Sixers exponentially. Nobody has to get leaned on too much — that’s huge for a 42-year-old LeBron and clearly for Embiid.

So now, hopefully, the Sixers don’t have to tap their tank just to go into the playoffs through the play-in. Now, once we get to the postseason, it will be all about Embiid’s health and Nick Nurse’s ability to balance the touches and creative opportunities within a five-man starting lineup full of 1A scorers, which he has a full season to figure out with, again, more room for trial and error. Nurse is nothing if not creative, and LeBron looked pretty damn good in a selectively supplementary role alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves last season with the Lakers. His passing will connect Philly’s score-heavy roster, too. Again, I think the Wolves would’ve been the best basketball team of the five suitors, but that’s certainly debatable. The Sixers look awesome on paper. Now we see how it transfers to the court. 

John Gonzalez: A+

This works both ways — for the player and the organization. In LeBron’s announcement, he mentioned that he thinks he can make the Sixers a championship team. He’s right. The Sixers had a LeBron-sized hole at power forward before he decided to take his talents to Philly. Now he joins a team with a young, dynamic backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, along with newly acquired Jaylen Brown and former MVP Joel Embiid. How much they get out of Embiid during the regular season and playoffs is obviously critical to the team’s title aspirations, but having James to pick up some of that slack as needed will help mightily. The Knicks are the champs and should still be considered the favorites in the East until unseated. And the Celtics have proven time and again that they’re perennial contenders. But for the first time in a long time, the Sixers will be right there with their two main rivals, challenging for eastern conference supremacy. That’s a huge win for the franchise, and at this late stage in his career, that’s the best James could hope for. 

Robby Kalland: B+

As everyone else has noted, this is an absolute home run for the Sixers, given the caliber of player they’re getting for the cost. LeBron was the best player in a playoff series win three months ago and now becomes a supporting starter for Philly on a veteran minimum deal. As for LeBron, I think it’s a solid and understandable choice, but there is some risk he’s taking on.

The upside here is tantalizing. The Sixers are going to be an unbelievably good offensive team. Maxey, Brown, Embiid, Edgecombe and James is a dynamic starting five, with all five players capable of applying rim pressure and stressing a defense. Even in the times when Embiid is out, this is a team built to score with anyone in the league. Defense is going to be a bigger question mark, with so much hinging on Embiid’s health. Brown and Edgecombe give them strong versatility on the perimeter, but LeBron isn’t going to help much with rim protection at this point in his career and they will be reliant on Embiid to be near his best on that end if they’re going to hit that title ceiling. 

Cleveland or Miami would’ve been easier retirement tours with less pressure to deliver, given he’s already won titles in both spots, but to James’ credit he’s going to the one place where his reputation could take a hit if the season goes south. Nick Nurse will have to walk an incredible tightrope in terms of ego management in this new-look Sixers locker room with the additions of Brown and James, and there’s certainly combustible potential with that group if things don’t click. Still, James saw what New York was like after snapping a drought and decided that upside was worth the risk. From the outside, it’s going to be entertaining no matter which way things go. 

Sam Quinn: B

For the Sixers, this is an A+. It’s one of the great value signings in NBA history. James may no longer be a max-caliber player, but for the minimum, the degree of surplus value he generates is still mind-boggling. The 76ers have All-Stars at point guard, small forward and center. They have a No. 3 overall pick coming off of a great rookie season at shooting guard. And now, they have arguably the greatest player who has ever lived at power forward. They have a real chance to win the championship. On their end, it’s a no-brainer.

On LeBron’s, it’s a bit iffier. The upside is obviously considerable. Four players in NBA history have won titles with three different teams, but James is already the only player to lead three franchises to championships. If he goes four-for-four (something no player has ever done), that’s a legitimate feather in his “greatest of all time” cap, something he can hold up to Michael Jordan’s six-for-six Finals record. He will have a chance to end a 44-year championship drought in Philadelphia. Considering how interested he seemingly was in ending New York’s drought, joining a similarly historic franchise obviously makes some narrative sense. But boy, is he taking a risk here. We’ve been saying “if Joel Embiid is healthy…” for a decade now. If he isn’t, Philly probably doesn’t have the frontcourt depth to really do this. And if it goes poorly, those Philadelphia fans aren’t known for their restraint. This could go very, very well. It could also be a sour ending to a legendary career.

Cameron Salerno: A-

I would give it an A+ grade if LeBron didn’t take multiple weeks to make a decision. From a basketball perspective, Philly gives him the best chance to win a title. But the other part of the equation is how good the Eastern Conference is now. This offseason seems like the tipping point of the Eastern Conference overtaking the West as the best and deepest conference in the league. LeBron won’t have to be the first or even second option on a given night, which will be great for his longevity throughout the season. The 76ers will be must-watch TV this season. I really, really like the fit.