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Messi, MLS champs Inter Miami get trounced by LAFC in season opener

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LOS ANGELES — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami got off to a rough start in their Major League Soccer Cup title defence when David Martínez, Denis Bouanga and Nathan Ordaz scored in Los Angeles FC’s 3-0 victory Saturday night.

Son Heung-min set up Martínez’s opening goal for LAFC, which emphasized its status as a primary threat to Miami’s crown during a lively MLS season opener between two of the league’s marquee clubs.

“This game is always special because Messi played, and we have some (desire) to want to beat Miami because Messi is there,” Bouanga said. “Every player, the mentality is so high for this game. It’s high for all games, but maybe this game is more high than another mentality.”

The matchup drew 75,673 fans — the second-largest crowd in MLS history — to the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which is next-door to LAFC’s home BMO Stadium. The huge crowd celebrated a convincing win for the home team and still enjoyed a good look at Messi, who played the full match despite dealing with a strained hamstring this month.

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“This game would have sold out five times at BMO, but we wanted to do something special,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said. “This is a seminal year in the history of our sport and a big moment in the history of our league, so why not go into this historic stadium, bring Miami here, our champion, and have them play against LAFC?”

Bouanga exchanged jerseys with Messi after the match because the LAFC star’s son demanded it, he said with a grin.

Messi’s every move was greeted with cheers and boos by the California fans, but he didn’t manage a shot on target. The superstar is clearly working out his dynamic with his new teammates after the Herons lost Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba to retirement.

Messi put a shot just over Hugo Lloris’ bar in first-half injury time, and he never managed to link up with new forward Germán Berterame under pressure from LAFC’s impressive defence. Dayne St. Clair, Miami’s elite new goalkeeper, also made a positioning mistake in his debut that greatly simplified Bouanga’s goal.

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“They put us (under) a lot of pressure, but we defended really well,” LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos said. “I don’t think we conceded big chances. There were these half-chances, but overall … I think that part of our game today, A-plus. The part of (our) possession, B. We can be much better, and we want to be much better, but our guys were a team.”

Dos Santos won in his debut as the third head coach in club history. The former Vancouver head coach and longtime LAFC assistant led his team to a 6-1 win over Real España earlier this week in its Concacaf Champions Cup opener in Honduras.

LAFC went ahead in the 38th minute when Son controlled the ball in traffic and slotted a perfect pass to Martínez, who found the far bottom corner in stride. The 20-year-old Martínez has started his MLS career slowly, but LAFC remains confident the Venezuelan forward will be a star.

“We need to push him in the field because he has strong quality, but now he has changed (his) mentality, too,” Bouanga said of Martínez. “Last year is not the same to this year, and he knows.”

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Bouanga had a hat trick in Concacaf Champions Cup play earlier this week, and he added his first MLS goal of the season in the 73rd minute. The Frenchman who finished second to Messi in the Golden Boot race last season converted on a long pass from Timothy Tillman, adroitly heading it over the charging St. Clair before banging it home.

LAFC added a third goal in second-half injury time when Ordaz converted a pass from Bouanga.

LAFC improved to 4-2-0 against the Herons in the clubs’ history. LAFC also remained unbeaten in its season openers, improving to 9-0-0.

Inter Miami: Visits Orlando City on Sunday, March 1.

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LAFC: Hosts Real España in the second leg of Concacaf Champions Cup on Tuesday.

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US women’s hockey coach John Wroblewski’s emotional moment recalled by player

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John Wroblewski was overcome with emotion when Team USA women’s hockey star Megan Keller deked around a Canadian defender and scored the game-winning goal to bring the Americans a gold medal on Thursday.

The NBC broadcast caught tears pouring down Wroblewski’s face as his team celebrated an incredible moment for the sport and the country at the same time.

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John Wroblewski hugs Megan Keller

Head coach John Wroblewski of Team United States Megan Keller #5 of Team United States celebrate the victory after the Women’s Ice Hockey Gold Medal Game between USA and Canada (2-1 OT) on day thirteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (EyesWideOpen/Getty Images)

American Taylor Heise, who assisted on Keller’s goal, told Fox News Digital in a recent interview it was a full-circle moment for her coach.

“I saw the video yesterday (Friday), and it kind of just depicts him pretty well,” she said. “He’s an emotional guy, but he coached a lot of men’s teams and this is kind of his first women’s gig and we’ve taken him in with grace these past four years and I think he’s done wonders for this group and definitely an honor for me because the last Olympics, I got cut. He’s the first coach that gave me that chance back. He knows I’m very grateful for that. I tell him that every day.

AMERICAN WOMEN’S HOCKEY GOLD MEDALIST TAYLOR HEISE OPENS UP ON WHAT IT MEANS TO PLAY FOR TEAM USA

John Wroblewski with Laila Edwards

United States head coach John Wroblewski and Laila Edwards (10) celebrate after beating Canada in the women’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026.  (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

“We hadn’t been able to really chat with him after. We had a lot of media and everything, but we’re grateful for him. He’s a guy that deserves the world because he believed in all of us and gave all these young girls a chance to show up and I think he picked the right 23 girls to be here.”

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Read More About The 2026 Winter Olympics

Wroblewski played in the ECHL and the American Hockey League (AHL) and coached for the Team USA Developmental Program and the AHL’s Ontario Reign before taking over the Olympic women’s team in 2022.

Heise, who will continue to play in the Professional Women’s Hockey League for the Minnesota Frost, is now something that only a few can become – a gold medalist.

Taylor Heise with the gold medal

United States’ Grace Zumwinkle, left, and Taylor Heise celebrate after victory ceremony for women’s ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026.  (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

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“It’s awesome,” she said. “It’s definitely a goal of mine that I’ve had for a very long time and to now have it come true, it was definitely one of the last things on my list I wanted to check off. It’s just an unbelievable experience and the team that I got to do it with is extremely special and one of the most talented teams I’ve ever seen.”

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Canada vs. USA for gold

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Canada vs. USA for gold

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Oscar De La Hoya reacts to Floyd Mayweather’s return to pro boxing: “I might want the rematch”

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Oscar De La Hoya has weighed in on Floyd Mayweather revealing shock plans to stage a professional boxing comeback.

It was announced this weekend that Mayweather is set to end his retirement and make a return to professional boxing later this year.

He will first take part in an exhibition against fellow boxing legend Mike Tyson, which is reported to be in April in the Congo, before then turning his attention to once again competing professionally.

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Mayweather retired in 2017 so it will be nearly a decade since he has fought as a professional, though he has taken part in a number of exhibitions since then.

One man that he famously fought was De La Hoya back in May 2007, claiming a split decision win over ‘The Golden Boy’ to win the WBC light middleweight title.

Speaking to FightHype, De La Hoya first shared his thoughts on Mayweather returning.

“I’m excited for him. I heard he’s having an exhibition with Mike Tyson. Then he’s coming out of retirement to fight professional. It’s very interesting.”

De La Hoya was then asked if he would come out of retirement to face Mayweather again, and refused to rule it out.

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“Don’t do this to me, I know I look good but don’t do this to me. I might want it [the rematch].”

De La Hoya fought on just two further occasions after the loss to Mayweather, with his final bout coming in December 2008 when he was beaten by Manny Pacquiao, so it seems unlikely the 53-year-old would return, even for an enticing battle against his former foe.

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Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Zhang Zhizhen preview, head-to-head, odds, prediction & betting tips

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Match Details

Fixture: (1) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs (PR) Zhang Zhizhen

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Date: Monday, February 22, 2026

Tournament: Dubai Tennis Championships

Round: First (Round of 32)

Category: ATP 500

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Venue: Aviation Club Tennis Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Surface: Hard (outdoor)

Prize Money: $3,311,005

Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN, TVA Sports, DAZN

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Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Zhang Zhizhen preview

Last year’s runner-up and top seed, Felix Auger-Aliassime, will take on Zhang Zhizhen in the opening round of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Whoever wins the match will take on either Tunisian Moez Echargui or a qualifier/lucky loser in the second round of the ATP 500 event.

Auger-Aliassime enjoyed an impressive 2025 season, but his 2026 season got off to a rocky start. After winning just one of his two singles matches at the United Cup and retiring from his Australian Open first-round clash, the Canadian won the Open Occitanie in Montpellier and followed it up by reaching the final of the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, where he lost to Alex de Minaur.

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Zhang Zhizhen has won three out of six matches so far in the 2026 season, with his most notable victory coming against Zizou Bergs at the United Cup. The Chinese, who was ranked 422 places below the Belgian at the time, won 6-7(2), 7-6(3), 7-5.

Before Dubai, Zhang last competed at the Qatar Open, getting a place in the main draw through protected ranking. The Chinese beat Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4, 6-4 in the opening round before losing 3-6, 2-6 to sixth seed and eventual semifinalist Jakub Mensik in the second round.


Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Zhang Zhizhen head-to-head

The head-to-head between the two is currently tied at 1-1, with Auger-Aliassime winning their most recent encounter 6-4. 6-4, which came during the United Cup earlier this year.


Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Zhang Zhizhen odds

Player Moneyline Handicap Bets Total Games (Over and Under)
Felix Auger-Aliassime TBD TBD TBD
Zhang Zhizhen TBD TBD TBD

Odds will be updated when available.

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Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Zhang Zhizhen prediction

Auger-Aliassime will enter the match as the overwhelming favorite to win, given his form over the past 15 months. The Canadian has reached the final in his two tournaments and has a good chance of doing so this time around as well. That said, Zhang has done well in his matches so far in 2026, beating several higher-ranked players, as his ranking rose from 464 to 319.

Auger-Aliassime is an effective server and produced 35 aces from five matches in Rotterdam. The 25-year-old doesn’t shy away from playing his shots and his aggression will no doubt make things difficult for Zhang.

The 29-year-old amassed 12 aces from his two matches in Doha and will rely heavily on his service games while looking for a decisive break. Auger-Aliassime has often produced unforced errors, so Zhang will have to find a balanced approach if he is to make things difficult for the World No. 7.

While the Chinese has produced some good moments so far this season, Auger-Aliassime could well be too much for him and he should be able to book his place in the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

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Pick: Auger-Aliassime to win in straight sets.


Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Zhang Zhizhen betting tips

Tip 1: Auger-Aliassime to serve over ten aces

Tip 2: Auger-Aliassime to lose less than five games