Sports
T20 World Cup: Charlie Dean’s journey from Lord’s tears to England’s stand-in captain
Born in the Midlands – her football team is Derby County – Dean learned cricket at Havant Cricket Club in Hampshire, where her father Steven played after a fine Minor Counties career through the 1980s and 90s.
Windsor, three years older, coached Dean in junior cricket before they progressed through the Havant boys’ sides and into the Hampshire and Southern Vipers first XIs.
“There are cricket badgers that love watching the game who vocalise about it. She is a silent badger,” Windsor says. “She watches a lot of cricket but not in your face.”
An England age-group regular, Dean made her county debut for Hampshire aged 15, where her first seasons crossed over with the final years of England coach Charlotte Edwards’ illustrious playing career.
“The thing that stands her in such good stead is she reads cricket really well,” added Windsor.
“That is why we see her as a leader now. She always seemed to be cricket-smart.”
Dean and Edwards first met when Dean was a “very shy” 10-year-old but when she made her England debut in 2021, it was Edwards, by then Vipers coach, who was invited to present the 20-year-old with her first cap.
Such a quick ascent denied Dean, now the youngster of the teams, the chance to captain sides, as she had done coming through the Hampshire and England academy ranks.
Before this summer her only real experience in charge was two seasons in The Hundred with London Spirit, when an injury ruled out former England captain Heather Knight. She was preferred over Australia’s Beth Mooney and current New Zealand skipper Melie Kerr – two far more experienced players.
“My sense was Charlie was well respected within the group,” says Trevor Griffin, then Spirit’s coach. “She had a connection.
“It was always going to be a step up but the main thing for me was the curiosity she has around the game, she understood how to play it, she understood the format and the connection within the playing group.”
PHILADELPHIA — Struggling Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes isn’t pretending to know the answers to his sudden slipups on the mound, from where he’s dominated for two seasons.
At least he wasn’t offering any on Wednesday night after his worst outing of the year. Skenes (6-8) lasted only four innings against the Philadelphia Phillies and allowed a season-high seven earned runs in a 10-6 loss.
Since beating Colorado 3-1 on May 12 to improve to 6-2 with a 1.98 ERA, the defending NL Cy Young Award winner has not won over his last nine starts, his record falling to 6-8 and his ERA climbing to 3.62. His puzzlement is growing, too.
“I didn’t execute very well,” Skenes said. “That’s really what it comes down to. I fell behind on some counts and left some balls over the plate.”
He also took his time doing it. Skenes threw 35 pitches during a five-run Phillies second inning, highlighted by Trea Turner’s three-run homer.
“I think we’ve got a good team,” Turner said. “I think sometimes there’s no explanation, but I feel like we’ve got a good lineup and we battle. We know he’s really good, and he’s always going to give us a fight, and you kind of tip your cap when he gets you and move on, and try to have the next guy pick you up. I thought we did a good job keeping it moving against him.”
In an anticipated duel of aces and a rematch between Skenes and Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler, played on a humid night with temperatures in the 90s, neither pitcher worked to his standard.
Skenes’ first loss in this slide came at PNC Park on May 17 at the hands of Wheeler and the Phillies, 6-0. In that game, he didn’t allow a run until the fifth inning.
On Wednesday night, the Phillies didn’t wait that long.
Pirates third baseman Nick Gonzales fielded Justin Crawford’s bases loaded grounder in the second inning and seemingly had a routine force play at the plate, but he fired the ball off runner Alec Bohm’s hand and allowed two runs to score.
Said Pirates manager Don Kelly: “The baserunner did a good job getting in the way.”
Next batter Turner hit a pitch from Skenes into the seats for his third homer in as many games to make it 5-0.
Skenes gave up a home run to Brandon Marsh in the third. And before he bowed out, he watched Bryce Harper’s liner get misjudged by Pirates left fielder Tyler Callihan for a two-run double.
It seemed Skenes’ luck was off just as much as his command.
“They’re a good lineup, but I haven’t made it easy on myself,” Skenes said. “I just have to execute a few pitches a little better, and I think it’s probably a different story.
“I don’t know … it happens. We’ll figure out what it is and we’ll just keep attacking it.”
If you want to hit the ball like the pros do, you need to move your body like the pros do. When I say that, I’m not suggesting you need to rotate your hips like Rory McIlroy or shuffle your feet like Scottie Scheffler. Rather, what you need to strive for is to sequence your body the same way they do.
Here’s how it works.
Sequencing is a popular buzzword in golf instruction, but all it means is the order in which each body part moves. Sequence your swing correctly and you’ll create crisp contact and effortless power. Do it incorrectly and you’ll introduce a variety of flaws and inconsistencies.
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So, how does the way pros move their body differ from how amateurs do? It all starts with how they shift and turn. When you watch a pro swing the club, take note of the order in which they do so. During the backswing, they shift their weight back and then turn their body to the top. On the downswing, they do the same sequence. Shift forward, then turn. This “shift then turn” sequence is the secret sauce that produces power, controls low point and breeds consistency.
Recreational players tend to get in trouble — particularly during the downswing — when they reverse this order. At the top, their first move to initiate the downswing is a turn. But when you turn before you shift, it throws the clubhead outside the hands and creates an over-the-top swing, often resulting in a weak slice. If your first move is a shift instead, you’ll create more space for your hands and naturally shallow the club on the downswing.
If you struggle to create power and tend to lose the ball to the right, take a look at how you are sequencing your body to start the downswing. There’s a good chance the reason you’re struggling is incorrect sequencing. To correct it, remember to feel a shift and then a turn. You’ll be amazed at how much easier hitting the ball becomes.
3 things I’m thinking
1. Winning is hard: The top five in SG: Total on Tour this season (Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Ludvig Aberg and Collin Morikawa) have just four combined wins this season. Consistency is king in golf, but sometimes even that isn’t enough to rack up trophies.
2. Nelly’s biggest challenger: Nelly Korda has dominated the headlines in women’s golf this season, but Haeran Ryu is also putting together one heck of a 2026 campaign. In 11 starts thus far in 2026, she has nine top 15s, seven top 10s and a win at the KPMG Women’s PGA. Don’t overlook the south Korean with two more majors still to play.
3. Summer heater: Wyndham Clark is the hottest player in the world at the moment. Over the last month, he’s won twice (including at the U.S. Open), finished top 5 two other times and added a T11 in Canada. He picked a great time to showcase his best stuff.
Call the kids, Martha. They’ve gotta see this too.
On the day that Connor McDavid began what could be his final contract as an Edmonton Oiler, general manager Stan Bowman finally found the pedigree of a goalie that McDavid has never had as a teammate.
Frederik Andersen, fresh off a Stanley Cup run with the Carolina Hurricanes in which he started 16 of the Hurricanes’ 19 games, signed a bonus-laden one-year deal to try to get the Oilers that elusive Stanley Cup they seek, with the end of the McDavid window possibly drawing near.
From Cam Talbot to Mike Smith to Stuart Skinner to the latest tandem of Tristan Jarry and Connor Ingram, McDavid’s 11 seasons in Edmonton have played out in front of a legion of good-but-not-great netminders. The Mikko Koskinens whom Oilers fans wanted to love, but whose work in the crease did not always love them back.
July 1 started slowly, but ramped into quite possibly the best in Oiler history — better, even, than the year they signed Zach Hyman? — The fuse was lit for Bowman when Darnell Nurse agreed to expand his three-team trade list to a fourth team, the San Jose Sharks.
From there, at around 1 p.m. local time in Edmonton, Bowman did what many thought was not possible: he traded Nurse and his entire $9.25 million annual salary (four seasons remaining) to the Sharks with no retention, even getting a useful defenceman and a prospect (Shakir Mukhamadullin and Zack Sharp) in return.
With a sudden infusion of cap space, Bowman spent the afternoon and early evening reeling off seven more transactions, none bigger than when he enticed Andersen to play for a base salary of just $1 million, with incentives that could earn him an additional $1.8 million in bonuses should Edmonton win the Stanley Cup with Andersen playing in at least half the playoff games in each series.
The 36–year-old Anderson has averaged over $5 million in annual average value over the past 10 seasons. With Edmonton, the former Anaheim Duck, Toronto Maple Leaf and Hurricane will be guaranteed $1 million with a shot at $2.8 million — on a one-year deal that puts Edmonton in the goalie market again next summer, if they so choose.
It must be said: All those years, all that trash talk about how the Oilers GM of the day couldn’t find a goalie? They end now.
All the Jack Campbells, the Tristan Jarrys, the raised eyebrows around the July 1 trade that brought in Devon Levi from Buffalo, Bowman muted them all by snapping up one of the premier goalies on this summer’s market with a team-friendly contract.
And here’s perhaps the most intriguing part:
Andersen’s $1 million AAV leaves the Oilers with 23 players signed and still $6.4 million in cap space, more flexibility than a dozen other teams, including contenders like Vegas, Florida, Colorado, Minnesota, or “next tier” teams like Los Angeles, Boston and the New York Rangers.
At the Trade Deadline, $6 million worth of cap space equates to roughly $27 million in AAV. That would allow the Oilers to pick up the most expensive player available, or a combination of two or three deadline buys that make the difference between being good and great.
On June 30, it seemed a tad far-fetched that this Oilers team, by their own admission in decline since losing that Game 7 to Florida in the Stanley Cup Final back in 2024, could cobble together a roster worthy of taking a run at their third Cup appearance in four springs.
Well, even if we agree that the current roster could use a tweak or two, Edmonton’s ability to add at the Trade Deadline means that what we see today could be vastly improved come March.
Let’s face it: July 1 has been less than kind to this latest Oilers regime, as well as to ones that preceded it. Who can forget Peter Chiarelli welcoming Milan Lucic with a big free agent deal? Or Holland digging Jack Campbell out of a lean market, only to have to buy him out soon after?
Consecutive July 1s under Jeff Jackson (Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson) and Bowman (Andrew Mangiapane) have left Oilers fans joking that perhaps they’d be better off if the local GM went camping on Canada Day and left his phone behind.
Well, Stan Bowman’s phone rang with a call from Darnell Nurse’s agent around lunchtime Wednesday, and the rest is history.
Now, if Frederik Andersen can only stay healthy….
This is just Carlson’s third NHL team across his 17-year career, as the longtime Washington Capitals defenceman was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks ahead of last season’s trade deadline.
Carlson, 36, was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes before free agency opened, but the two sides could not agree on terms for a contract.
Carolina sent the 192nd-overall pick in the 2026 draft and minor-league defenceman Kyle Masters to Anaheim to get a shot at negotiating with Carlson early.
The Ducks used the 192nd pick to take WHL forward Noah Kosick.
Carlson played 16 regular-season games with the Ducks, potting four goals and 14 points in that span. In 12 post-season games, Carlson had six assists and helped the Ducks dispatch the two-time Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers in Round 1.
The Natick, Mass., native has 1,159 NHL games under his belt, with 170 goals and 785 points in that span. He won a Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018.
Sports
FIFA World Cup Golden Boot race: Harry Kane draws level with Erling Haaland, closes in on Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé | Football News
England captain Harry Kane reignited the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race with a sensational late brace against Congo DR, moving level with Erling Haaland in second place and closing the gap on joint leaders Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.Kane’s two goals inspired England to a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory in the Round of 32, keeping the Three Lions’ World Cup dream alive while throwing the race for the tournament’s top scorer wide open.The England skipper now has five goals in the tournament, just one behind Messi and Mbappé, who sit atop the standings with six each after the France captain struck twice in Les Bleus’ 3-0 win over Sweden.
Kane joins Golden Boot battle in style
Facing a shock exit, England trailed for more than an hour after Congo DR took a seventh-minute lead through Brian Cipenga.Thomas Tuchel’s side struggled to find a breakthrough as goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi denied Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford, while Yoane Wissa struck the post at the other end.Kane eventually sparked England’s revival in the 75th minute before completing the comeback with another clinical finish 11 minutes later.The brace not only sealed England’s place in the Round of 16 but also propelled Kane into the heart of the Golden Boot contest.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot standings
- Kylian Mbappé (France) – 6 goals
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 6 goals
- Harry Kane (England) – 5 goals
- Erling Haaland (Norway) – 5 goals
- Ousmane Dembélé (France) – 4 goals
- Vinícius Júnior (Brazil) – 4 goals
- Ismaila Sarr (Senegal) – 4 goals
Several players remain within touching distance, setting up an intriguing battle as the knockout rounds continue.
- Three goals each: Deniz Undav (Germany), Johan Manzambi (Switzerland), Julian Quinones (Mexico), Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), Brian Brobbery (Netherlands), Folarin Balogun (USA), Matheus Cunha (Brazil), Elijah Just (New Zealand), Yoane Wissa (Cabo Verde), Jonathan David (Canada), Ismail Saibari (Morocco) and Kai Havertz (Germany)
Another historic milestone for England captain
Kane’s heroics also saw him surpass Brazilian legend Pelé on the all-time World Cup scoring list.His first goal drew him level with Pelé on 12 World Cup goals before his winner moved him onto 13, further cementing his place among the competition’s greatest scorers.The England captain had already overtaken Gary Lineker as his country’s leading men’s World Cup scorer earlier in the tournament and now boasts 20 goals in major international competitions alongside 84 goals in 118 appearances for England.England had not won a men’s World Cup match after conceding first since defeating Germany in the 1966 World Cup final, highlighting the significance of Kane’s comeback performance.With Messi and Mbappé leading on six goals and Kane and Haaland breathing down their necks on five, the race for the tournament’s top scorer promises to be one of the defining storylines of the knockout stage.England will next face co-hosts Mexico in the Round of 16, where Kane will have another opportunity to continue both his remarkable scoring run and his pursuit of the Golden Boot.
Who doesn’t love a parade? Me, actually.
But I do enjoy walking a golf course in fashionable footwear. This week, that means red, white and blue golf shoes. Here are four options we like and you might too.
Puma
Ignite Elevate 2 X Volition Spikeless Golf Shoes, $150
“Tortional rigidity.” That’s a term I hadn’t heard before I came across these kicks. It describes the comfort and support you get from shoes that minimize unnecessary movement, preventing slipping and sliding as you turn. That’s a nice trait. The color scheme and lightweight build are nifty, too.
PUMA Ignite Elevate 2 x Volition Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes
Honor the home of the brave with every swing and step. The IGNITE Elevate 2 x Volition collaboration protects your midfoot, providing better torsional rigidity and minimal movement to liberate your most powerful, patriotic swing. Details: IGNITE FOAM FLOATPLATE PWRSADDLE CRYSTAL RUBBER 1-YEAR WATERPROOF SKU: 311280
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Premiere Series — Packard Liberty Men’s Spiked Golf Shoes, $245
Along with the classic leather design, I appreciate the understated color scheme, which gets the patriotic point across with calling garish attention to itself. The gold Pulsar soft spikes are another welcome touch, providing multi-directional traction on all types of terrain.
FootJoy Premiere Series – Packard Liberty Men’s Spiked Golf Shoes
360° of Traction Custom, gold Pulsar softspikes combined with specifically arranged, multi-directional traction elements create an impermeable defense against swing forces that can come from any angle. Multiple durometers of TPU provide traction characteristics targeting different types of surfaces. EXQUISITE CRAFTSMANSHIP & DETAILING: Elevated navy and red accents combined with hand-selected, premium full grain leather deliver an iconic look for players with a discerning sense of style. SUPERCHARGED INSIDE AND OUT: Advanced materials and custom in-shoe technology, featuring an OrthoLite® EcoPlush FitBed™, deliver a next-gen performance golf shoe. 100% WATERPROOF Premium leathers provide super soft touch and feel and 2-year waterproof warranty protection.
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Payntr Golf
X 001 F Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes, $159.99
For a combination of form and function, my Payntrs have become my go-to pair. The three-dimensional traction pattern lives up to its promise, while a graphite power plate in the sole injects a little extra pop off the ground. Add with a fully waterproof upper (thank you, superhydrophobic coating) and a breathable upper, and you’ve got a red, white and blue shoe that performs as well as it looks.
PAYNTR X 001 F Men’s Golf Shoe, Red/White/Blue, 11.5 M Spikeless
PAYNTR X 001 F Men’s Golf Shoe Holistic comfort and performance traction built for the biomechanics of the golf swing. Performance enhancing traction Three-dimensional traction provides golfers the ability to better control linear motion, resist rotational movement, and more effectively harness vertical ground forces. Holistic comfort Soft & responsive under foot cushioning with PMX Foam midsole; delivers on-course comfort and zonal-specific support for the golf swing. Lightweight, flexible, & breathable upper, including vented tongue to move perspiration away from the foot to create an optimal in-shoe environment. Explosive propulsion Articulated TPU outsole & zonally engineered dual durometer EVA midsole house a lightweight responsive graphite power plate – delivers golfers maximum energy return to more effectively generate ground reaction force. Waterproofness Water impermeable upper – flexible textile base with Clarino microfiber skin, all treated with a superhydrophobic NeverWet solution. Feaures: Textile / Clarino™️ microfiber upper, lightweight support and flexibility. TPU Outsole, traction in three dimension for the life of the shoe. Dual Density PMX Foam™️ Midsole, maximum energy return & under foot support. Graphite propulsion plate, effectively harness ground reaction forces. Neverwet™️ superhydrophobic solution, non-wicking and water-resistant protection. ARIAPRENE® tongue, supreme foot lockdown, maximum stability, breathable support. Ortholite™️ Footbed, cushioning, fit, and comfort never change.
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Pro/SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes, $184.99
If your dogs are barking, these comfy shoes should quiet them down, thanks to foam cushioning that is both supportive and shock-absorbing. And because wet dogs are unpleasant, there’s also this: newly added waterproof mesh that keeps moisture out, even when you’re playing a dewy morning round.
FootJoy Pro|SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes
Pro|SL’s comfort has been fortified considerably with the introduction of 100% waterproof performance mesh and Stratofoam in the midsole. The StratoFoam cushioning system uses a proprietary blend of materials to provide optimal support and comfort for conditions encountered while playing golf – swinging, walking and everything in between. Designed to absorb shock for max walking comfort and also maximizes energy return to reduce walking fatigue.
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The mass jumping of euphoric fans after Mexico scored two match-winning goals against Ecuador in a tense World Cup knockout game set off “significant” tremors, seismologists say.
Mexico’s Digital Platform for Early Warning and Comprehensive Risk Management (SASSLA) observed that “the outburst of euphoria and mass cheering” from fans following the goals in Tuesday’s match “produced vibrations in the local area”.
“The Goal by Julian Quiñones vs Ecuador was just recorded on several seismographs,” SASSLA wrote on X.
“We also have the record of the second Goal by Raúl Jiménez at the 31’,” it said.
Three people were also crushed to death in Mexico City after the match as nearly a million fans took to the streets to celebrate Mexico’s 2-0 win against Ecuador led to its qualification for the last 16 of the World Cup.
Such “human-induced earthquakes” have previously been reported, caused by intense activities like the construction of massive high-rise buildings, or from groundwater extraction, or fracking.
Previous such events have also been recorded during sporting events or large-scale performances like a 2024 Taylor Swift concert.
“This is how it was registered at the nearest RaspberryShake station to the Azteca Stadium, an outstanding artificial signal. The burst of euphoria and mass shouting produced vibrations in the local ground,” SASSLA said after the match.
While not a real earthquake, the shakes due to the rapid vibration of people jumping at the same time and their collective thud against the ground generated short surface waves, the quake monitoring platform Sismo Alerta Mexicana said in a post on X.
“If someone walks near a seismograph, it will clearly detect it; and if several people jump at the same time near it, it’s even easier,” it said.
“These are instruments that detect earthquakes on the other side of the world, so their sensitivity is extremely high,” the alert system’s official X account posted.
The phenomenon is not new and has been reported previously during major sporting events and concerts.
Such events can produce unique vibration signals that resemble tremors, according to a 2024 research on the phenomenon published in the journal Seismological Research Letters.
For instance, a Swift concert in 2023 with over 70,000 attending fans recorded strong seismic vibrations in network stations located within about 9 km of the stadium.
“All evidence considered, we interpret the signal source as primarily crowd motion in response to the music,” scientists wrote in this study.
Scientists hope the findings from such artificial tremors can help build better seismographs that distinguish between the different types of vibrations.
It can also help study the structure of the subsurface Earth and construct buildings and auditoriums that respond better to vibrations, researchers say.
With the NFL’s offseason in the books, NFL media is opining on the best and worst transactions from February through May. And for the Minnesota Vikings, ESPN has decided that trading Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles was the club’s worst decision of the offseason.
Few loved the move to offload Greenard, so Seth Walder’s opinion merely served as a confirmation this week.
Dallas Turner Suddenly Has a Bigger Job
Walder: Trading Greenard Was MIN’s Worst Offseason Move
Walder explained his disdain: “Move I disliked: Trading Edge Jonathan Greenard for two third-round picks. During the draft, the Vikings dealt Greenard, one of their best players, to the Eagles in exchange for two third-round picks.”
“I don’t think it was worth it, especially in the current trade environment for high-end players. Despite only three sacks in 12 games last season, Greenard’s 23.2% pass rush win rate at edge would have ranked fourth at the position had he qualified.”
It’s worth noting that he championed the Kyler Murray signing: “The best thing about the Vikings’ offseason is them signing Murray to a veterans minimum deal, which was possible due to his offsets from his contract with the Cardinals. It was a boon for Minnesota.”
“Murray’s services would be worth many millions more on the free market, and he provides an answer at quarterback in the wake of J.J. McCarthy’s rough 2025 season.”
Not Enough Dough — Apparently
Minnesota spent its 2026 offseason resetting the salary cap, refusing to entertain big-name free agents — aside from Kyler Murray, who became available for cheap — and instead focusing on bargain-bin performers like James Pierre (CB) and Ryan Van Demark (OT). The club also added wide receiver Jauan Jennings on a base salary of $8 million.
What it didn’t have was $100 million over four years for Greenard. That had to be close to his asking price for the Vikings; they could not afford it. The Eagles obliged.
Twenty-five million bucks for a pass rusher like Greenard is fair market value. It probably hurts his cause that he only logged 3 sacks in 2025. Three sacks and $25 million don’t jibe.
A Full Pivot to Dallas Turner
The Greenard trade changed Turner’s career with the snap of two fingers.
Prior to the trade, Turner faced a crowded path. Vikings fans have eagerly anticipated his breakout season, a reasonable expectation given his hefty 2024 price tag via trade. However, Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel remained ahead of him on the depth chart. While a “good problem” for Minnesota, it complicated efforts to fully define Turner’s role.
Now, it’s different. Turner no longer needs to contend for limited snaps behind two established outside linebackers. The Vikings can provide him with a substantial workload, allowing his athleticism to shine and determining if his flashes of potential last season were the harbinger of something much greater.
That is the inherent upside of losing Greenard. Despite being a tough trade, it clarifies the depth chart.
Of course, Minnesota still has work to do. While Turner and Van Ginkel can lead the group, the Vikings likely need one more reliable outside linebacker. That could mean acquiring a veteran like Jadeveon Clowney or Leonard Floyd — someone with experience who can set the EDGE and provide enough pass-rush prowess to maintain a robust defense.
So, while the Greenard trade stings on paper, for Turner, it might be what the doctor ordered.
Replace Greenard with a FA EDGE?
The Vikings can ease the pain of the Greenard trade if Turner thrives. They can also sign a veteran EDGE who offers some semblance of his production. The aforementioned Clowney and Floyd might make the most sense, but the list doesn’t end there.
These free-agent outside linebackers are eagerly awaiting 2026 employment:
- Derek Barnett
- Marcus Davenport
- Jerry Hughes
- Yannick Ngakoue
- Emmanuel Ogbah
- Josh Paschal
- Haason Reddick
- Preston Smith
- Kyle Van Noy
- Von Miller
All those players will be gettable for $10 million or less, and Minnesota has $13 million in the bank right to use on summer free agents.
Losing Greenard isn’t ideal, especially for a team aspiring to win a Super Bowl, but Turner and an EDGE to be named later can make it less painful. Fans can also take solace in knowing that Flores probably knows what he’s doing. The Vikings’ defensive boss has not showcased a poor defense yet in Minnesota; that probably won’t start in 2026.
Wednesday’s win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in San Francisco Bay Area Stadium was thoroughly deserved and earned Pochettino’s side a date with Belgium in Seattle on Monday evening (01:00 BST on Tuesday).
It did not, however, come without a price.
Folarin Balogun, the 24-year-old former Arsenal youngster, who inspired the US to a thumping win over Paraguay with two goals to begin their campaign, added his third of the tournament to break the deadlock shortly before half-time.
He might have had a hat-trick, firing one effort wide of the near post, seeing an effort ruled out for offside and slicing a shot onto the bar from close range, but just after the hour mark his night, and potentially his World Cup was ended.
What looked an innocuous tussle with Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic for a looping ball down the left channel ended with the forward being shown a straight red card.
As Balogun attempted to shield the ball, Muharemovic managed to get in front of him, and as the forward’s boot returned to the ground it landed on the back of the Bosnian’s ankle, causing it to twist gruesomely.
In real time, and in all likelihood in reality, it looked entirely accidental, but Brazilian referee Raphael Claus was sent to the monitor to watch a super slow-motion replay, which gave him little choice but to brandish the red card.
It etched Balogun’s name further into the record books.
On the night when he became just the third American to score three goals in a World Cup edition, he also became the fourth player to both score and be sent off in a knockout match, following Brazil’s Garrincha in the 1962 semi-final, his compatriot Ronaldinho in the 2002 quarter-final against England, and France’s Zinedine Zidane in the infamous 2006 final against Italy.
The sending-off brings an immediate one-game ban, ruling him out of the Belgium match, but it could yet be extended by Fifa officials to potentially rule him out of the quarter-final and semi-final, should the Americans make it.
Long-time Fulham target Ricardo Pepi is the man most likely to fill Balogun’s boots , though he has not scored in his 184 minutes on the pitch at this tournament, nor in the four friendly games before it.
The PSV man’s last international goal came in a Nations League game in November 2024.
Crystal Palace and US defender Chris Richards said the players were supporting Balogun.
“We told him we have got his back,” he said. “We are a team of 26, not just one.
“Ultimately we are going to miss him for the next game but we know whoever is going to step up is going to do a job just as well as he did.
“I think it’ll keep us stronger. One man is down, the next guy steps up. We are a team, we are more than just one player, we are more than just 11 players.”
Pochettino added: “When Balogun received the red card, I thought that is the moment we need to show we are a team and the eyes of the players were [saying], ‘Coach, we are ready to go and fight’ and that is amazing.
“These guys are creating a legacy in this country and with our amazing fans everything is possible. Why not us?”
Didier Deschamps’ side impressed once again as they raced past Sweden 3-0 and will face Paraguay next. Michael Olise provided two assists and is now just one short of equaling Pelé’s record in a single World Cup. Meanwhile, Mexico recorded their fourth clean sheet and are the only side not to have let a single goal in after they beat Ecuador 2-0. Mexico now await the winner of England vs DR Congo at the Azteca stadium.
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