Bjorn Baker has the durable sprinter Overpass, unlikely to chase a third Quokka success out West, meticulously readied for his seasonal bow as a seven-year-old gelding.

Overpass instead lines up for a third bid in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) come Saturday at Randwick, after fifth to Nature Strip in 2022 and second to Briasa in the previous edition.

His first-up ledger stands impressively at 4 wins with 4 further placings across 10 goes, prompting Baker to apply rigorous measures for the seasoned Vancouver gelding whose prizemoney exceeds $12 million.

Two powerful trials have been administered to Overpass, culminating in a 1050m hit-out on March 27th ridden hands and heels, aimed at peaking him for the $3 million spectacle.

“He’s in really good order. As we know, he’s great first-up,” Baker said.

“The track definitely didn’t suit him in that trial, but Josh says he’s going as well as ever.

“We’re just mindful as he gets older, a bit stronger and bigger every preparation, we’ve got to make sure he’s that little bit fitter and we do that touch more.

“He’s had a couple of good trials, a gallop away from home. We’ll give him an easy gallop on Tuesday and into the T J.”

This season’s Australian sprint division lacks a standout star, leaving Baker optimistic of claiming the TJ Smith should Randwick firm for Day 1 of ‘The Championships’ under expected warm spells.

“The firmer the track, probably the better, but he can get through a softish track as well,” Baker said.

“If you look at his first-up runs in recent campaigns, he was a very good fourth in the Everest. In the T J Smith last year he was second first-up as well.”

The stable of Bjorn Baker extends to the card’s other trio of Group 1s, with Green Spaces eyeing the Australian Derby, Pericles the Futurity Stakes winner in the Doncaster Mile, plus Paradoxium tackling the Inglis Sires.

Secure value with racing betting markets ahead of the 2026 TJ Smith Stakes.

The 2026 Valero Texas Open begins Thursday, April 2, with the opening round at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course in Texas. You can find full Valero Texas Open tee times for Thursday’s first round at the bottom of this post.

Featured tee time for Round 1

Popular veteran Rickie Fowler has only one thing on his mind heading into the Valero Texas Open: winning.

Beyond capping off a resurgent start to the 2026 season, a victory this week would accomplish two important things for Fowler.

First, it would break a nearly three-year win drought and give Fowler seven career PGA Tour victories. But perhaps just as importanly, it would earn him a spot in next week’s Masters, where he’d make his first start since 2024.

But the same is true for most of the field at the Valero Texas Open, so Fowler won’t be the only one hoping to translate a Texas Open victory into tee times at Augusta National.

Fowler will tee off for Round 1 on Thursday at 9:06 a.m. ET with playing partners Tommy Fleetwood and Hideki Matsuyama.

You can watch Thursday’s first round of the 2026 Valero Texas Open from 4-7 p.m. ET on Golf Channel. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early streaming coverage starting on Thursday at 8:15 a.m. ET in addition to featured group coverage.

Check out the complete Round 1 tee times and groupings for the Valero Texas Open below.

Hoping to wager on the Valero Texas Open? Sign up for Fanatics Sportsbook with code “SUBPAR” to receive a special welcome offer.

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2026 Valero Texas Open tee times for Thursday: Round 1 (ET)

Tee No. 1

8:30 a.m. – Lanto Griffin, Kevin Streelman, Max McGreevy
8:42 a.m. – Nick Hardy, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Austin Smotherman
8:54 a.m. – Taylor Moore, Sam Ryder, Bronson Burgoon
9:06 a.m. – William Mouw, J.T. Poston, Lucas Glover
9:18 a.m. – Sami Valimaki, Webb Simpson, Charley Hoffman
9:30 a.m. – Adam Schenk, Matt Kuchar, Alex Noren
9:42 a.m. – Joe Highsmith, Davis Thompson, Ryo Hisatsune
9:54 a.m. – Rafael Campos, Emiliano Grillo, Rico Hoey
10:06 a.m. – Austin Eckroat, Peter Malnati, Doug Ghim
10:18 a.m. – David Ford, Neal Shipley, Davis Chatfield
10:30 a.m. – Frankie Capan III, Luke Clanton, Austin Wylie
1:30 p.m. – Tom Kim, Lee Hodges, Alex Smalley
1:42 p.m. – Matt Wallace, Tom Hoge, Carson Young
1:54 p.m. – Erik van Rooyen, K.H. Lee, Eric Cole
2:06 p.m. – Ludvig Åberg, Robert MacIntyre, Jordan Spieth
2:18 p.m. – Sepp Straka, Brian Harman, Billy Horschel
2:30 p.m. – J.J. Spaun, Russell Henley, Stephan Jaeger
2:42 p.m. – Mark Hubbard, Kevin Roy, Danny Walker
2:54 p.m. – Matthieu Pavon, Denny McCarthy, Johnny Keefer
3:06 p.m. – Kensei Hirata, Adrien Saddier, Paul Waring
3:18 p.m. – Pontus Nyholm, Marcelo Rozo, Charlie Crockett
3:30 p.m. – Jimmy Stanger, A.J. Ewart, John VanDerLaan

Tee No. 10

8:30 a.m. – Ryan Palmer, Dylan Wu, Mac Meissner
8:42 a.m. – Joel Dahmen, Bud Cauley, Chandler Phillips
8:54 a.m. – Will Zalatoris, Patrick Rodgers, S.H. Kim
9:06 a.m. – Tommy Fleetwood, Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler
9:18 a.m. – Maverick McNealy, Tony Finau, Max Homa
9:30 a.m. – Si Woo Kim, Michael Thorbjornsen, Marco Penge
9:42 a.m. – Andrew Novak, Garrick Higgo, Sudarshan Yellamaraju
9:54 a.m. – Brice Garnett, Adam Svensson, Thorbjørn Olesen
10:06 a.m. – Seamus Power, Michael Kim, Vince Whaley
10:18 a.m. – Kris Ventura, Chandler Blanchet, Zach Bauchou
10:30 a.m. – Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Dan Brown, Christo Lamprecht
1:30 p.m. – Brendon Todd, Jimmy Walker, Hank Lebioda
1:42 p.m. – Camilo Villegas, Takumi Kanaya, Kristoffer Reitan
1:54 p.m. – Nick Dunlap, Andrew Putnam, Justin Lower
2:06 p.m. – Ricky Castillo, Jhonattan Vegas, Brandt Snedeker
2:18 p.m. – Nick Taylor, Matt McCarty, Kevin Yu
2:30 p.m. – Steven Fisk, Karl Vilips, Chris Kirk
2:42 p.m. – Mackenzie Hughes, Chad Ramey, Beau Hossler
2:54 p.m. – Patton Kizzire, Keith Mitchell, Jordan Smith
3:06 p.m. – Zecheng Dou, Jackson Suber, Gordon Sargent
3:18 p.m. – Patrick Fishburn, Alejandro Tosti, Jesper Svensson
3:30 p.m. – Haotong Li, John Parry, Jeffrey Kang

Trainer Glen Thompson from Flemington expects Benagil’s suitability to 2000m to spark a sharper display at Caulfield.

This Saturday’s Group 3 Easter Cup will be the mare’s fourth race back from rest.

Thompson recalled Benagil taking out a 2000m Group 1 contest as a three-year-old, and securing two Group 1 minor placings—at 2000m and 2200m.

Over 2000m most recently, she was well-beaten into last place by Via Sistina in the Champions Stakes at Flemington last spring.

The track was notably heavy, occurring as her season wrapped up.

Three starts into the current campaign without a placing, yet Thompson is content with Benagil’s work.

Her freshest run was eighth to Treasurethe Moment in the 1600m Sunline Stakes at Caulfield, March 21.

“She’s going really well,” Thompson said.

“Her first run, she wasn’t ready, then in her second run she was a little plain.

“I thought her run the other day was great. Her sectionals were the second fastest of the race where she was back last and ran on.

“She won at the 2000 metres in the Australasian Oaks (at Morphettville), and she got to 2200 metres, running third in the Queensland Oaks.

“I’m thinking getting her back up to 2000 metres, we’ll see an improved run from her.”

Down the line, Thompson keeps options open for Queensland’s Winter Carnival, though after Saturday’s Easter Cup, attention turns to the April 18 Mornington Cup (2400m).

Victors in the Mornington Cup earn a pass into the 2400m Caulfield Cup in October.

“At this stage she’ll go Easter Cup, Mornington Cup, and if she can win that, then she can go to the paddock and get ready for the spring,” Thompson said.

“It will then all be about one race for her.”

Visit trusted betting sites to check out the best markets for the Easter Cup.

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

ATLANTA – Eighteen months and 24 matches after Mauricio Pochettino was named the head coach of the U.S. men’s national team, the group is now barrelling towards the looming deadline that is the much-anticipated World Cup ahead of what many hope will be a groundbreaking showing on home soil.

Pochettino’s stamp on the team has become increasingly clear by the game, even as he conducted a rigorous experimentation period. Scores of players have earned caps under the head coach, many breaking into a core group and giving the team a new look in the process. Pochettino has also introduced a variety of tactical styles, spending last fall working with three center backs before transitioning back to a four-person defense in March’s matches against Belgium and Portugal. By the time the World Cup approaches, the team will have a tactical variety that should, theoretically, position them to solve a wide range of problems.

With less than two months to go until Pochettino names his World Cup roster, questions of which players will make the cut are natural. They are not the only uncertainties, though, as the World Cup rapidly approaches — his team still does not look like the finished product, perhaps because Pochettino has insisted on trying as many things as possible before this summer’s tournament actually begins.

Here’s a look at the questions that went unanswered in the U.S.’ defeats to Belgium and Portugal in March.

Are the USMNT error-prone in defense?

The USMNT have made tangible progress under Pochettino, most notably as a more dynamic team in attack with an emphasis on a high press and offense-minded wide players. They have done this while problems in the back persist, issues that were magnified in a 5-2 loss to Belgium on Saturday and a 2-0 defeat to Portugal on Tuesday. They have not kept a clean sheet since a 2-0 win over Japan in September and have just one in their last 12 matches.

The errors themselves are wide-ranging but ultimately costly, likely the result of several contributing factors. The USMNT are generally better with Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson on the pitch, though Pochettino said Tuesday that substitutions made in high volume sometimes lead to confusion. Other times, though, their attack-minded approach proves costly and gets in the way of their intentions.

“[We need to figure] out the little things that we can do that doesn’t leave us exposed in some situations if we do lose the ball,” Weston McKennie said post-match on Tuesday, “but also just having the confidence to finish the chances that we have early on because I do think our type of game that we play is very energetic and more high press but we want to be structured. If we’re not finishing chances, we want to be able to hold the game to a 0-0 type thing and not allow the opponents to score.”

Pochettino will need to strike a perfect balance between personnel and strategy to actually tighten things up in the back, maintaining his argument that the pre-World Cup training camp will provide the continuity he needs to actually drill his points home.

Can Christian Pulisic return to goalscoring form?

Christian Pulisic may have started the season in scintillating form with AC Milan, but the goalscorer’s goals have dried up in recent months, raising questions about his confidence heading into the World Cup. He has not scored for Milan since Dec. 28, and his last goal for the USMNT came in Nov. 2024, the 27-year-old is set to enter the pre-World Cup training camp 18 months after the fact. Pulisic has grown increasingly frustrated as he waits for his next goal, a dry spell not uncommon amongst attackers but ill-timed with the World Cup less than three months away.

His form did not necessarily justify a start against Portugal, but Pochettino was intent on giving Pulisic minutes, hoping the time on the pitch would end the rut. The head coach even tinkered with the lineup to assist Pulisic as he attempted to end his goalscoring drought, pushing him closer to goal and playing him as a No. 9, a strategy that saw the forward take three shots and generate 0.27 expected goals in 45 minutes.

“I think he was very active and I think he [did] a good job,” Pochettino said. “I think he was involved in too many actions. Unlucky, a shame a little bit that he didn’t score with the opportunity that he has. It’s normal … Yes, he feels frustrated, but that is what we want, what we expect, but he was fighting, he was committed in the phases that we demand more, and then with the ball, he’s going to score because he has the quality. I am sure that he is going to come back to his club and in the moment he scores, he’s going to start to score again.”

If the problem persists, though, it is worth asking if Pulisic runs the risk of being dropped from the starting lineup for important World Cup games. For the first time in a long time, the U.S. have actual depth in terms of goal scorers — Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi are amongst the in-form players, while fringe players like Haji Wright and Patrick Agyemang will likely duke it out for a single spot in a nailbiter of a competition to make the World Cup squad. McKennie, too, has a newfound goalscoring ability that his coaches at club and country seem eager to exploit. Pulisic may still be the brightest of the bunch, but if the U.S. are in real need of goals and results this summer, Pochettino has no shortage of options available to him, and perhaps the platform to make a tough decision or two along the way.

How many fringe players made their case in March?

The USMNT’s March friendlies were not exactly anything to write home about, in large part because there were opportunities for fringe players to make their case while more seasoned players missed out through injury. The results were mixed at best, only reinforcing the idea that the U.S. are one team with their mainstays, but a different one without.

Pepi was a likely World Cup participant, but left no doubt after playing an important role in Agyemang’s late goal against Belgium, while Agyemang joined him in impressing with some energy after it had otherwise been sucked out of the team. Johnny Cardoso, meanwhile, was effective in 45 minutes on Saturday and seems like the primary understudy to the oft-injured Tyler Adams. After that, the picture gets murkier.

Several of these players may still make the cut for the World Cup, but failed to make much of an impact in the March friendlies. Tanner Tessman, for example, was far from his best against Belgium despite using his experience as a center back at Lyon in a rare shift in that position with the national team, though Pochettino continues to value his versatility and soccer IQ. Center back Auston Trusty was solid against Portugal, but other players may have fallen behind in the depth chart. Joe Scally and Gio Reyna only played around a half hour each through two games, while Aidan Morris did not do enough to avoid the risk of missing a World Cup spot if Adams is fit.

USMNT’s World Cup timeline

Pre-tournament

• May 26: roster reveal event in New York
• May 27: World Cup training camp opens at the National Training Center in Fayetteville, Ga.
• May 31: friendly against Senegal at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
• June 6: friendly against Germany at Soldier Field in Chicago

Group stage schedule

• June 12: USMNT vs. Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
• June 19: USMNT vs. Australia at Lumen Field in Seattle
• June 26: Turkiye vs. USMNT at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

Golf star Tiger Woods said on Tuesday that he was stepping away to seek treatment and focus on his health after he was arrested on charges of driving under influence (DUI) following his rollover car crash in Florida last week.

“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself ​in today,” he said in a statement published on social media platform X.

“I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order ​for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.”

Tiger Woods pleads not guilty 

Woods was driving his Land Rover last Friday when it clipped a pickup truck and rolled over on its side near his Jupiter Island home.

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No injuries were reported in the incident but the 50-year-old golfer was forced to exit his vehicle from the passenger’s side door.

Officers at the scene assessed him to be impaired and found two opioid pain pills in his pocket.

Woods was charged with suspicion of misdemeanor DUI with property damage and refusing to submit to a lawful test.

He did not submit to urine tests after a breathalyzer test showed no alcohol in his system.

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He was released on bail later that night.

Earlier on Tuesday, the online court docket for Martin County showed that Woods had entered a written plea of not guilty and was planning to waive his April 23 arraignment hearing.

Woods is a 15-time major champion and is touted as the greatest golfer ‌of his generation.

No Masters for Tiger Woods — again

Woods’ decision to take time away means he would miss the Masters — where is a five-time champion — for a second consecutive year.

Fans were hoping to see the pro-golfer tee it up at the tournament taking place from April 9 to 12.

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Last week saw Woods making a return to competitive golf at the indoor TGL Finals, which combines elements of simulated golf with traditional play.

Woods said in his Tuesday statement that he was committed to taking the ​time needed to return ‌in a “healthier, stronger, and more focused place, both personally and professionally.”

This would be the second time the golfer has taken a leave of absence after a car crash.

In 2009, his car rammed into a fire hydrant and tree outside his home near Orlando. He then announced a break to work on being a better person.

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In another car crash in Los Angeles in 2021, Woods damaged his right leg so severely that he said doctors mulled an amputation.

Report gives account of Woods’ arrest

During his field sobriety test on Friday, officers noticed Woods — who had compression sock over his right knee — limping, an accident report from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said.

Woods explained he had undergone over 20 surgeries on his right leg and his ankle seizes up while walking, the report said.

As per the report, Woods told authorities that he was looking down at his phone and switching radio stations and did not realize the truck in front of him had slowed down.

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Authorities also said that he was observed to be lethargic, slow, “sweating profusely,” with bloodshot eyes, pupils that were “extremely dilated” and was hiccuping during questioning.

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru

Italy made heartbreaking history on Tuesday night, as they missed their third straight World Cup bid following a loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Italy is now the first World Cup-winning team to miss three consecutive tournaments following the penalty-kick shootout loss in the European playoffs. 

The nation was once a soccer powerhouse, winning it all four times with its most recent in 2006. But recent years have not been kind to the Italian squad, and they were feeling the pain of the loss after the match. 

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Pio Esposito of Italy disappointment  during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs  match between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Image Photo Agency)

“We still don’t believe it – that we’re out and that it happened in this manner,” Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola said to reporters, per the New York Post. “It’s upsetting for everyone. For us, for our families and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup.”

After 90 minutes and extra time, both nations were stuck in a 1-1 tie, and the penalty shootout was needed to determine a winner. Italy eventually fell to Bosnia and Herzegovina, 4-1, in the shootout, as Esmir Bajraktarevic secured the victory with the final goal. 

SIX WORLD CUP SPOTS LEFT! ITALY, POLAND, JAMAICA AMONG TEAMS WHO CAN QUALIFY

It didn’t help that Italy was playing with just 10 men on the field after Alessandro Bastoni received a red card before halftime. Bosnia and Herzegovina used the man advantage to tie the game in the 79th minute, as Haris Tabakovic scored the equalizer. 

Italy’s defender Alessandro Bastoni receives a red card from the referee during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European qualification final football match between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Italy at the Bilino-Polje stadium in Zenica on March 31, 2026. (Elvis BARUKCIC / AFP)

Moise Kean was able to strike first for Italy in the 15th minute, giving them the momentum they were searching for coming into the match. However, they were never able to rally in the end. 

While Italy remains one of only three nations to ever win the World Cup four times in history, they can’t seem to find what it takes to get to the tournament. 

In 2018, Italy fell at the hands of Sweden, while North Macedonia shocked them in 2022 in the qualifiers. 

Gianluigi Donnarumma of Italy reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Srdjan Stevanovic – UEFA)

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Now, Bosnia and Herzegovina will try their luck in Group B when the World Cup kicks off, starting with a match against Canada. They will also face Qatar and Switzerland in the group stage. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Here we are in the last two months of the 2025-26 season.

The title race completely passed us by months ago, and unfortunately that has become standard procedure in the last few years. After the tremendous run of results in January had us thinking of a comfortable spot in the top four in Serie A, the crushing reality of February and, to some extent March, made us realize that today’s Juventus team is barely/merely good enough to hang around the outskirts of the fourth, fifth and sixth positions.

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Last month had a little bit of (almost) everything — dramatic comebacks, last-minute goals, crushing victories, penalty misses, and corto muso performances.

Let’s get started.

Falling into the Europa League?

We started the month with a blockbuster 3-3 draw away at Roma. After a tight first half, the hosts took the lead just before the break when Brazilian wingback Wesley cut inside from the edge of the box and curled a lovely right-footed shot into the top corner and just past Mattia Perin’s fingertips. We equalized immediately after the break when Conceição scored with an incredible half volley that almost ripped the net in half.

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A 10-minute spell then turned the game firmly into Roma’s favor. Evan Ndicka barged his way past Andrea Cambiaso and volleyed home from Lorenzo Pellegrini’s corner kick. Then, the reborn Donyell Malen received an incredible pass from Manu Kone, beat the offside trap, and chipped the ball over Perin who was too slow to come off his line. (And I thought sweeper-keepers were overrated …) Jeremie Boga brought us back into the game when he scored with a tremendous volley after Edon Zhegrova’s deflected cross fell to him. His goal was the beginning of a great run of games he had in March.

The game had a dramatic conclusion in the 93rd minute thanks to our beloved bricklayer Federico Gatti. Once again, Zhegrova was the catalyst as his cross from the free kick created havoc in the box. Gatti pounced (ha!) on the loose ball and smashed in the half volley to deny Roma the victory in a brilliant game of football.

We returned to winning ways with a big 4-0 home win against Pisa. Remarkably, all goals came in the second half and, curiously, after Spalletti switched to a 3-4-3 with Boga/Yildiz as a false 9. Cambiaso scored the first goal when he headed in from a great chipped cross from Yildiz. The second came quickly afterwards: Manuel Locatelli’s pinpoint shot hit the post and the rebound fell to Khephren Thuram who tapped the ball into an open goal.

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The goals kept coming. Yildiz collected a pass from Conceição, slipped past the defender, and blasted the ball into goal. Boga put the cherry on top with a goal in stoppage time after he received a perfect through ball from Locatelli, rounded the goalkeeper, and scored in the empty net: 4-0!

Boga continued his great month by scoring the game’s only goal in a tight 1-0 victory over Udinese. Kelly played a fantastic long ball to Yildiz, who charged into the box and crossed low to Boga. The Ivorian held his run excellently and, as a result, was in the perfect position for the easy tap-in. The Bianconeri controlled the rest of the game and probably should have scored more to put the game to bed, but in fairness Udinese posed such little offensive threat that the victory was never in doubt.

The final game of the month against Sassuolo was the one that, in my eyes, ended our chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Remarkably, goalkeeper Perin created the first goal when his excellent long outlet pass released Conceição on the counterattack. He dribbled his way into the box and squared the ball for Yildiz, who scored with a low, accurate shot.

As has happened time and time again this season, Juventus conceded from its first (and only!) shot on target. Sassuolo played a nice bit of one-touch passing on the edge of the box and the ball came to Berardi on the right wing. The winger squared the ball for Andrea Pinamonti who, after bullying Gleison Bremer of the ball in the buildup to the goal, ghosted past the Brazilian defender to poke the ball into goal from Berardi’s low cross. The Bianconeri won a very soft penalty after Jonathan David’s cross hit a defender’s arm, but goalkeeper Arijanet Muric caught Locatelli’s incredibly weak penalty kick. It ended 1-1 and we fell further behind in the race for Top 4.

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Juventus Women

Juventus Women opened the month with a solid 2-0 victory over Fiorentina in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal. Chiara Beccari scored in the ninth minute thanks to a nice assist from Ana Capeta. The Portuguese forward then capped a match-winning performance with a goal in the 51st minute after latching onto Viola Calligaris’s great through ball and scoring with a shot at the near post.

It wasn’t a great month of results in the league, though.

AC Milan beat the Bianconere 1-0 thanks to Thea Kyvag’s goal early in the second half, but the deciding moment came just a few minutes earlier in stoppage time of the first half. Kay-Lee de Sanders fouled Capeta in the box but goalkeeper Sandra Estevez saved Emma Stolen Godo’s penalty, resulting in a disappointing 1-0 loss. We followed that loss with a frustrating goalless draw against bottom-of-the-table Genoa.

Thankfully, Juve ended the month on a high note with a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal. Capeta ended a fantastic month with two goals in this game. The first was a wonderful curled shot from the edge of the box that went in off the post and the second a header from a corner kick. Iris Omarsdottir scored from a rebound after a corner kick resulted in Katla Tryggvadottir hitting the post. Juventus cruised to a 2-1 victory (4-1 on aggregate) over Fiorentina and will meet Roma (who else?) in the final!

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New starts with false 9s?

During the winter transfer window, the big story was Juventus’s attempt to get another striker, likely on a short-term deal. Dusan Vlahovic has since only recently returned from injury and still hasn’t extended his contract that expires in a few months, Arek Milik has risen from the dead after missing nearly two seasons due to injury, and Loïs Openda and Jonathan David haven’t worked out the way we thought they would.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Spalletti has tinkered accordingly to find a solution while his strikers find their purpose in life form. He has tried two solutions: playing Weston McKennie as a striker and playing a false nine. Remarkably, McKennie was actually quite good in that position — is it still a surprise that McKennie plays well everywhere on the pitch? — but we need him more urgently in other areas.

The false 9 experiment began catastrophically when the attack was terrible in the first half of the first game against Napoli. But the experiment has caught fire recently as a combination of Yildiz and, more importantly, Boga have done quite well as false 9s. The Ivorian, in particular, seems to be a good fit for the position as he is faster and more physically dominant than the Turkish forward and more comfortable with his back to goal.

But as I mentioned earlier, Milik and Vlahovic are now (fully?) fit, which means that Spalletti has another problem on his hands: who do you play/drop? Boga is in fantastic form, Yildiz is the team’s top contributor in attack, and McKennie is one of the most important players in the team. Conceição is hot and cold, but we don’t have many players comfortable on the right wing.

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It’s an important question to ask because, despite having the third-best attack in the league, we are remarkably wasteful in attack. We have 12 shots per game compared to Inter’s 13 shots per game, but the league leaders have scored 14 goals more than us, highlighting the significant difference in the teams’ effectiveness in front of goal. To emphasize this even further, the two teams have essentially the same number of shots per target (185 for us, 184 for Inter).

So what is the new power ranking for the Bianconeri’s attackers? Let’s find out after the international break.