Watch highlights as Melvine Malard’s 94th-minute winner snatches victory for Manchester United against Everton to send them back into second place in the Women’s Super League table.

MATCH REPORT: Manchester United 2-1 Everton

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Maika Hamano took a pass from the left with her back to goal, turned and launched a powerful strike from outside the area in a moment of individual brilliance that secured Japan a third Women’s Asian Cup final with a 1-0 win over Australia.

The 21-year-old Hamano, on loan at Tottenham from Chelsea, scored in the 17th minute to almost silence the crowd of 74,397 at Sydney’s Stadium Australia on Saturday night.

The Australians applied all the pressure in the last 10 minutes pressing for an equalizer but were continually denied by Japan’s defense, including Alanna Kennedy’s close-range header with two minutes left in regulation.

Japan had beaten Australia in finals to win back-to-back Women’s Asian Cups in 2014 and 2018 and has now won the title three times in the last four continental championships.

“I just want to enjoy it today because it’s only the third time that Japan actually managed to win this tournament,” Japan coach Nils Nielsen said. “(We) really deserve it, I mean we won six games – it’s OK we take the trophy.

“The girls fought with everything they had, so did Matildas, and they made themselves proud as well.” 
The Australians, who reached the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup on home soil in 2023, had 54% of possession, had 14 shots on goal compared to nine for Japan, and considerably more passes, crosses and touches in the opposition box.

But as captain Sam Kerr said, “They beat us just off one moment. For most of the game, we had the better chances and definitely in the second half, most of the possession. So it was just one moment. Unfortunately, that’s what football is decided on. 

“The last few games, we’ve had the moments and made the most of them. Tonight, they had an amazing goal.” 
Japan, the top-ranked team in Asia, tallied 29 goals and conceded just one in six games in a dominant performance in Australia.

The Matildas haven’t won the continental championship since 2010, when Kerr – then 16 – scored in the decider.

Crowd records 
The crowd of almost 75,000 for the final was a record for the Women’s Asian Cup along with the total crowd of 355,528 across the tournament that started on March 1.

Six teams from the Asian Cup – Japan, Australia, China, South Korea, Philippines and North Korea – have qualified for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Iran’s involvement 
The 12-team tournament gained global attention due to the involvement of an Iranian squad affected by the Middle East war.

The Iranian team arrived in Australia before the Feb. 28 attacks by the United States and Israel triggered the Iran war, and their participation held the international focus.

Seven members of the Iran delegation initially were granted asylum by the Australian government, though all but two have since returned home.

If you had big plans for 2025 undrafted free-agent quarterback Max Brosmer, it’s officially time to rethink them. In the last week, the Minnesota Vikings have onboarded Kyler Murray and re-signed last year’s QB2, Carson Wentz, spelling a mini-doomsday scenario for Brosmer.

The young quarterback’s roster standing took a serious hit over the course of a few days.

Brosmer may not have possessed the upside of a QB1 in the pros in the first place, but the Vikings’ decision-making proved recently that he’s closer to a practice-squad commodity than anything else.

Minnesota’s QB Shuffle Leaves Brosmer in a Tough Spot

Back to the drawing board for Brosmer.

Wentz Returns

Wentz has returned to Minnesota after flirting with the New York Jets last week.

NFL.com’s Kevin Patra wrote Thursday, “The Minnesota Vikings have added another veteran to their quarterback room. Carson Wentz is re-signing with the Vikings on a one-year deal, NFL Network Insiders Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported Thursday, per sources informed of the move. The team later announced the news.”

“The move comes after the Vikings inked Kyler Murray to a one-year deal last week to battle J.J. McCarthy for the starting gig. Retaining Wentz aims at safeguarding against the quarterback issues that sank their 2025 campaign, in which undrafted free agent Max Brosmer was forced to start two games.”

Wentz’s torn labrum should be in tip-top shape before too long, and he’s officially back in the mix for Minnesota.

Murray Added as Probable QB1

And, of course, Minnesota signed Murray on March 12th, following weeks of speculation that the former Arizona Cardinals starter would join the team he rooted for as a child and teenager. The speculation was correct.

Murray immediately tracks as the QB1 in 2026 — how could a team not start a man who averages about 4,000 passing yards, 30 total touchdowns, and 600 rushing yards every 17 starts? Mind-bogglingly, because the Cardinals are the hook for Murray’s 2026 salary, the Vikings scored Murray for 1.3 million bucks.

He’d probably have to get hurt this summer to lose the starter’s job.

Zone Coverage‘s Nelson Thielen wrote about Murray last week, “Murray represents Kevin O’Connell’s desperate attempt to maximize his upside and save his job — even if it means completely reorienting his offensive principles. Because what Murray does well is not what this offense ran so successfully in 2024.”

“Murray plays his best ball as a point guard at the line of scrimmage with quick, rhythmic passing. He’s a good distributor close to the line of scrimmage and saves most of his intermediate passing to concepts outside the numbers in the form of deep outs, corner routes, and comebacks. Essentially, the only time you see him throw in structure over the middle of the field is up the seam. Otherwise, it simply isn’t an element of his game.”

O’Connell has five months to figure out his playbook to accommodate Murray. It shouldn’t be difficult.

“There is a world in which Kevin O’Connell rehabilitates Kyler’s career, and the Kyler Murray era in Minnesota extends far beyond 2026. I just hope this coaching staff is willing to go all in on that possibility, because a half measure likely leads to the same type of disjointed mess Murray was hoping to leave behind in Arizona,” Thielen added.

Brosmer Out in the Cold

Therefore, with the quarterback additions and re-signings, the Vikings’ QB depth chart now looks like this:

• Kyler Murray
• J.J. McCarthy
• Carson Wentz
• Max Brosmer

Minnesota never keeps four quarterbacks on a regular season roster — sometimes it’s only two — and Brosmer is either on the practice squad in 2026 or outright released. Until this week, no one was too sure if Wentz would re-up with the Vikings, keeping hope alive for Brosmer’s inside path to the QB3 post.

Brosmer as the QB3 — or on the roster at all when the regular season rolls around — now feels like a long shot. He went from unknown, undrafted free agent to possible Brock Purdy-like breakout to a probable roster cut or practice squad candidate.

It was not a good week for Brosmer.

“Hope” for a McCarthy Trade?

Brosmer would actually benefit from a McCarthy trade, as the rumor mill has subtly suggested since the club re-signed Wentz on Thursday. Sending McCarthy to Arizona or Pittsburgh, for example, would keep Brosmer in the Vikings’ roster orbit as their single young quarterback in the pipeline.

Of course, a McCarthy trade is unlikely, all things considered, and it doesn’t feel like Kevin O’Connell is ready to throw in the towel. During the upcoming buildup to the 2026 season, remember that Murray usually misses about four or five games per season; that would be the perfect opportunity for McCarthy to reclaim his throne — if he’s matured and developed in the background.

Otherwise, if McCarthy is out of the way, Brosmer won’t trend so irreleveantly.

PurplePTSD works in partnership with Vikings Territory, similarly doing their utmost to offer top-notch coverage of the Minnesota Vikings. As a result, we’re promoting five of their top articles of the past month in “The P/PTSD Perspective.” Take a peek at some of their best stuff.

The P/PTSD Perspective: March 21st, 2026

1) Vikings are Bringing a Runner with Elite Speed in for a Visit: Speed kills in the NFL. So, it makes sense for the Vikings to dig into the possibility of adding someone who possesses elite speed. The 2026 NFL Draft looks likely to kick over at least a single runner to beef up the RB depth.

2) Vikings Finally Pause Inactivity and Make a Move: Minnesota has been participating in a modest free agency period. Strangely enough, the pivot off of that inactivity was to go for a restricted free agent. Buffalo’s backup large lad put pen to paper, but the Bills maintained a lot of power.

3) As Trade Rumors Swirl, Jonathan Greenard Earns a Snazzy New Job: Not the news people have been waiting for in recent days and weeks. The promotion from within the NFLPA does demonstrate something important: Greenard’s peers respect him. He has always offered great leadership and energy. The new job is an extension of that reality.

4) The Vikings’ GM Didn’t Budge: Rob Brzezinski has been moving through an ongoing job interview. If he crushes these next couple of months, the Vikings’ new GM — read: fill-in GM — may already be under contract.

5) 5 Defensive Free Agents the Vikings Could Still Sign: The Vikings are sitting on some cap space. Not a ton, but a bit of wiggle room. Making a move for some depth-level players isn’t the worst idea in the world, especially if it helps to avoid reaching in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Enjoy the extra reading, Vikings fans.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

First Published: Mar 21 2026 | 7:27 PM IST

On this Members-only episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Mehedi Hassan and Jeremy Beren discuss:

– What has changed for Atletico from the beginning of their season?
– Atletico’s crazy fixtures in April
– Key matchups in the Derby: Vini vs. Molina on the left wing
– Will Julian Alvarez leave Atletico or remain the face of the project?

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And more.

Thanks for being a Member. We hope you enjoy the show!

The site is run by a small team that works tirelessly around the clock to make it into what it is today. Your contributions will allow us to continue to have a real and full-time presence in keeping this website, and it’s podcasts, going.

Hosts this week:

Mehedi Hassan (⁠⁠@MhassanFootball⁠⁠)

Jeremy Beren (@JBBeren)

The 11-seed Texas Longhorns face the 3-seed Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament West Region on Saturday. Texas advanced by upsetting BYU 79-71 in the first round on Thursday, while Gonzaga downed Kennesaw State 73-64. The Longhorns (20-14), who placed 10th in the SEC at 9-9, are 5-5 in their last 10 games. The Bulldogs (23-3), who finished first in the WCC standings at 16-2, are 12-1 against non-conference opponents this season. 

Tipoff from Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, is set for 7:10 p.m. ET. Gonzaga is a 6.5-point favorite in the latest Texas vs. Gonzaga odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 147.5. Before making any Gonzaga vs. Texas picks, check out the Gonzaga vs. Texas predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the 2026 NCAA Tournament on a sizzling 11-1 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to last season, and is on a 28-22 run on top-rated CBB side picks. 

Now, the model has simulated Texas vs. Gonzaga 10,000 times and just revealed its college basketball picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several college basketball odds and college basketball lines for Texas vs. Gonzaga:

Top Texas vs. Gonzaga predictions

After 10,000 simulations of Texas vs. Gonzaga, SportsLine’s model is going Over on the total (147.5 points). The total has gone over in four of the Longhorns’ last five games played on a Saturday. The Over has also hit in the last four games played between these two schools. The Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS against the Longhorns in the last five matchups.

The model projects the Longhorns to have four players score 14 or more points, including Dailyn Swain, who is projected to score 17.6 points. The Bulldogs are projected to have two players score 13 or more points, led by Graham Ike, who is projected to score 22.2 points. The model is projecting 156 combined points, as the Over clears 74% of the time. You can get the spread pick at SportsLine.

How to make Texas vs. Gonzaga picks

Now, the model simulated every possession of Texas vs. Gonzaga 10,000 times and says one side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time. You can only see that pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Texas vs. Gonzaga, and which side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Texas vs. Gonzaga spread to back, all from the advanced model that just simulated this game 10,000 times, and find out.

Arne Slot accepted that Liverpool have dropped too many points in the Premier League after playing in the Champions League as they suffered another blow to their hopes of finishing in the top-five with defeat at Brighton.

Danny Welbeck’s double earned Brighton a deserved victory over Slot’s side, who became the first reigning Premier League champions to lose 10 games in a season since Chelsea in 2017-18.

The Reds have lost five games of their 10 games immediately after playing in Europe this season, winning four and drawing one, as they failed to back up Wednesday’s big win over Galatasaray to reach the quarter-finals.

Already without Mohamed Salah and goalkeeper Alisson to injuries, Liverpool lost Hugo Ekitike to a dead leg following a heavy collision with James Milner in the opening five minutes and they were outworked by an energetic Brighton team who were fully deserving of their fourth win in five games.

“It is clear that we have lost a lot of points after playing in Europe,” Slot told TNT Sports. “I have tried to explain a lot of times already why this is but today we also have to give credit to Brighton. In the second half, they were the better team on the pitch.

“What I thought [before the game], is you won’t need 24 points to qualify [from the final eight games of the season] and hopefully I am right because we aren’t able to get 24 points anymore.

“We kept trying. In the second half we were close but they were closer to score the third one than we were the second one. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough after a week like this.”

Slot said losing Ekitike so early in the game was a “big blow” and Liverpool will be desperate to get as many players as possible back fit after the international break for the FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City, which will be followed by the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain.

But Liverpool also risk slipping from the Premier League’s top five after a run of three games without a win. While the impressive nature of Liverpool’s win over Galatasaray had lifted the mood following the defeat at bottom club Wolves and 1-1 draw with struggling Tottenham, there is pressure on Slot again ahead of a crucial stretch of the season.

“There is always pressure at Liverpool, on me, on the players,” Slot said. “That is completely normal. We have qualified for the quarter finals of the FA Cup and the Champions League, but in the league we need to make sure that in the end we qualify for the Champions League.

“As much as I dislike us losing here today, Brighton away has always been a difficult one and will always be a difficult one as long as they keep bringing in so many good players.

“But there are other games where we should have picked up more points, like last week against Tottenham. That is far more unacceptable than this. But even away at Brighton, a club like Liverpool should be able to get a result.”

The intensity of Brighton’s display stood in contrast to Liverpool’s lethargic showing, with Steven Gerrard questioning why Slot did not make more changes to freshen up his side. The former captain said Liverpool’s performance felt predictable.

“The performance wasn’t good enough, but you can almost feel that this performance and this result was coming,” Gerrard told TNT Sports.

“Liverpool get a couple of injuries to key players like Salah, Allison, on the back of midweek, the manager speaking about maybe the lack of energy they might have, and then you look at Brighton’s plans to come and try and play a game with that intensity and that speed, that energy.

“We’ve seen it quite a few times this season now, where they put in a lot of effort and they perform really well in the Champions League. “There’s all the emotion and all the energy and the intensity they have to put in to win those or get a result.

“It’s having a big effect on them at the weekend. They haven’t got the options in the squad or on the bench to make numerous changes, to bring that energy and that quality into the team to perform at the same level they do in midweek.

“Liverpool made a couple of changes that were forced on them, but the manager wanted to keep the team rather than make changes for energy, and it backfired today. Brighton deserved the win overall, and a big opportunity missed for Liverpool.”