Sports Desk

The Bucs opened the scoring with a Sean Tucker touchdown before the Falcons led 14-13 at half-time after Pitts, who came into Thursday’s game with just one touchdown all season, claimed his first two scores.

The home team went into a 28-14 lead early in the fourth quarter after Baker Mayfield made touchdown passes to Devin Culp and Chris Godwin Jr.

Veteran Kirk Cousins was making his fourth straight start after a season-ending injury to Atlanta’s starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr and the 37-year-old led the Falcons to the 32nd fourth-quarter comeback of his career.

Running back Bijan Robinson got into the end zone before Pitts claimed his hat-trick and Atlanta regained possession with less than two minutes left.

And despite being backed up to third and 28 after recovering his own fumble and a 10-yard penalty, Cousins made key passes to Pitts and receiver David Sills V to get the Falcons in range for Gonzalez to kick a 43-yard game winner.

Cousins finished with 373 passing yards and three touchdown passes to Pitts, who claimed 166 yards from 11 receptions.

Atlanta are now 5-9 and their upset of Tampa Bay did Carolina a favour as the Panthers (7-6) now top the NFC South and face the Bucs in two of their last four games, with only the division winner guaranteed a play-off spot.

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

AMIT 49, Central City Value 43

Animo Venice 45, New Designs Watts 44

Animo Watts 66, Animo Pat Brown 42

East College Prep 42, Rise Kohyang 39

LA University 73, Bravo 65

Panorama 48, Magnolia Science Academy 14

Stern 65, CNDLC 50

USC Hybrid 37, New Designs University Park 27

Verdugo Hills 39, Canoga Park 21

WISH Academy 64, Burton 14

SOUTHERN SECTION

AAE 68, Crossroads Christian 44

Alemany 79, Valor Academy 26

Alhambra 56, Paramount 54

Alpaugh 61, Coast Union 35

Alta Loma 44, Sierra Vista 34

Aquinas 55, Colony 45

Bell Gardens 50, South El Monte 48

Big Bear 77, Hesperia Christian 44

Bishop Amat 75, San Dimas 47

California Lutheran 65, Mesrobian 39

Capistrano Valley 71, Santa Barbara Providence 44

Carter 73, Riverside Notre Dame 52

Cate 57, Channel Islands 27

Chaffey 50, Rim of the World 19

Chino Hills 78, Chino 55

Claremont 79, Jurupa Valley 38

Coastal Christian 60, Valley Christian Academy 47

Colton 62, Bloomington 55

Corona 69, La Sierra 33

Dana Hills 42, Yorba Linda 40

Dominguez 54, St. Margaret’s 46

Eisenhower 58, Kaiser 43

Elsinore 75, Vista del Lago 38

Entrepreneur 59, NSLA 28

Environmental Charter 43, Compton Early College 24

Esperanza 57, Temescal Canyon 36

Fillmore 59, Castaic 55

Ganesha 47, Azusa 36

Garden Grove Santiago 61, NOVA Academy 24

Harvard-Westlake 68, Valencia 49

La Quinta 48, Twentynine Palms 27

Loma Linda Academy 56, River Springs 10

Long Beach Poly 57, Fairmont Prep 51

Los Altos 65, Irvine University 58

Marina 83, California 66

Monrovia 65, Riverside Prep 49

New Roads 55, EF Academy 41

Oakwood 57, YULA 47

Ontario 61, Arroyo Valley 42

Ontario Christian 92, Charter Oak 52

Oxford Academy 47, Sunny Hills 43

PACS 58, Lancaster Baptist 40

Palm Desert 54, Beaumont 49

Palm Valley 45, Noli Indian 36

Pasadena Poly 55, Keppel 54

Peninsula 46, Valley View 38

Pilgrim 37, TREE Academy 13

Pioneer 88, Hawthorne 34

Placentia Valencia 65, Ocean View 54

Redlands 66, Xavier Prep 23

Royal 99, Del Sol 71

San Bernardino 86, San Jacinto 63

San Marcos 62, Rio Mesa 29

San Marino 75, Schurr 58

Santa Clara 59, Nordhoff 35

Santa Fe 47, Bellflower 35

Shadow Hills 43, Upland 38

Sherman Indian 45, La Sierra Academy 25

St. John Bosco 84, Rancho Cucamonga 49

St. Monica Academy 64, Faith Baptist 63

Summit 55, Citrus Hill 45

Tahquitz 48, Paloma Valley 46

Tarbut V’ Torah 50, Magnolia Science Academy 40

Temecula Prep 63, SJDLCS 21

Thacher 59, Carpinteria 23

Walnut 83, Garey 23

Webb 93, Southwestern Academy 29

West Valley 54, Canyon Springs 51

Yucaipa 58, Norco 37

INTERSECTIONAL

Cathedral Catholic 63, Loyola 62

Crean Lutheran 53, Archbishop Riordan 40

Crespi 79, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Eagle Academy 72

El Camino Real 60, Simi Valley 52

Holy Martyrs Armenian 97, LA Fremont 43

JSerra 71, Millville (Utah) Ridgeline 46

Kern County Taft 50, Paraclete 48

LA Wilson 52, Salesian 43

Maricopa 51, Laton 5

Miami Riviera Prep 98, Inglewood 89

Palos Verdes 73, Rancho Dominguez 50

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Animo Watts 38, Animo Pat Brown 6

East College Prep 44, Rise Kohyang 10

Northridge Academy 69, Sherman Oaks CES 21

Smidt Tech 51, Alliance Bloomfield 12

Torres 39, Jefferson 21

Vaughn 45, East Valley 12

Venice 62, Taft 14

SOUTHERN SECTION

AGBU 42, Hoover 16

Agoura 50, Marymount 43

Alemany 71, Milken 17

Alpaugh 47, Coast Union 36

Bolsa Grande 34, Westminster La Quinta 26

California Military Institute 56, NSLA 8

Camarillo 61, Oaks Christian 58

Chino Hills 63, Alta Loma 24

Claremont 82, Calvary Baptist 42

Compton 41, Firebaugh 4

Compton Early College 18, Animo leadership 12

CSDR 74, Riverside Poly 59

Desert Mirage 42, Calexico Mission 4

Downey 46, South Hills 38

El Modena 60, Orange 50

Foothill Tech 56, Santa Clara 18

Fountain Valley 63, Westminster 18

Garden Grove 48, La Mirada 44

Glendora 75, Katella 36

Golden Valley 45, Royal 35

Hesperia Christian 65, Big Bear 21

Jurupa Valley 40, Rim of the World 19

Knight 51, Quartz Hill 40

Laguna Beach 54, Loara 25

Lancaster 34, Littlerock 12

La Quinta 47, Twentynine Palms 46

Loma Linda Academy 39, River Springs 15

Long Beach Jordan 47, Warren 33

Los Osos 84, Los Altos 36

Lucerne Valley 53, Victor Valley Christian 16

Mayfair 38, Bell Gardens 8

Mira Costa 53, Los Alamitos 34

Moorpark 39, Thacher 36

Notre Dame Academy 48, YULA 43

Palm Springs 43, Indio 26

Paloma Valley 55, Patriot 23

San Marino 43, Mayfield 6

St. Mary’s Academy 53, Eagle Rock 48

St. Monica 47, Oakwood 35

St. Monica Academy 48, Faith Baptist 39

Temecula Prep 58, SJDLCS 13

Temple City 48, Hacienda Heights Wilson 37

Trabuco Hills 61, Fullerton 9

Trinity Classical Academy 56, Santa Monica 39

Tustin 39, Northwood 21

Valley View 39, Riverside North 32

Village Christian 41, Granada Hills 39

Villanova Prep 51, Cate 37

Villa Park 59, La Serna 35

West Covina 45, Temple City 38

Woodbridge 32, Ocean View 22

Yorba Linda 50, La Palma Kennedy 29

INTERSECTIONAL

Clovis West 77, Esperanza 53

Dominguez 54, Marquez 22

Gahr 40, Gardena 34

Laton 39, Maricopa 10

Newbury Park 51, El Camino Real 44

Village Christian 41, Granada Hills 39

Former head coach Holley was part of the Ospreys coaching staff who between 2003 and 2012 won four league titles and an Anglo-Welsh Cup .

The 55-year-old former full-back, who hails from Aberavon, says the region’s faithful would not support losing their side.

“To Ospreys fans, it probably confirms to them what is going on behind the scenes that is not being made public,” said Holley.

“There is an air of sadness, anger, disbelief. Your average fan takes things on face value.

“Let’s talk hard facts. Who has been the most successful region?”

Holley highlights anger among Ospreys fans who he says “won’t entertain” a potential 40-mile trip to watch rugby in Cardiff.

“They are die-hard fans who have gone through the hardships of the 2000s, established a brand and have two generations of supporters who have only known Ospreys,” he said.

“Ospreys are doing good things in the community and on the field are still reasonably competitive because they have that culture.

“Ospreys people will say they are one true region. That must count for something as well as the success.

“It is a hot-bed of Welsh rugby. Swansea, Neath, Aberavon or Bridgend. But there has always been the feeling the Ospreys have been the target, the ones to go and that creates the anger.”

And Holley, who also coached Bristol to English rugby’s top-flight warns Welsh rugby has reached a critical juncture.

“We are on the precipice, we don’t realise how close we are to losing our game,” he said.

HOUSTON — Amen Thompson’s three-point play with 17.2 seconds left helped the Houston Rockets to a 115-113 win over the Clippers on Thursday night.

Thompson tipped in Alperen Sengun’s miss to break a 110-110 tie, was fouled by Kris Dunn and hit the free throw. The putback came off Houston’s third offensive rebound of the possession and 21st of the night.

Thompson made eight of 12 from the field and finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

The Rockets (16-6) outrebounded the Clippers 51-28 and avoided losing back-to-back games for the first time since Oct. 24.

The Clippers had two possessions with a chance to tie the game, but Kawhi Leonard was called for an offensive foul, and Nicolas Batum committed a violation on an inbounds pass.

Sengun led the Rockets with 22 points and 15 rebounds, five assists and four steals, while Jabari Smith Jr. added 18 points.

Kevin Durant scored 13 of his 16 points in the third quarter. He started the game one for seven from the field but knocked down his next four shots.

Ivica Zubac matched a season high with 33 points for the Clippers. He shot 13 for 14 and added seven rebounds.

Leonard scored 24 points in a season-high 41 minutes, and James Harden chipped in 22 points against the team he starred with for more than eight seasons.

For the Clippers (6-19), it’s the third loss in a row and eighth in nine games.

Up next for the Clippers: host Memphis on Monday.

Elsewhere on the opening night, 2023 world champion Michael Smith beat Women’s World Matchplay winner Lisa Ashton 3-0.

Ashton, who had the majority of the crowd on her side, won two of the first three legs but Englishman Smith, 35, then put together a run of seven successive legs on his way to securing a spot in the last 64.

“That first set was nerve-wracking,” Smith told BBC Radio 5 Live. “As soon as I walked out, the crowd was on me straight away.

“I expected it but I thought if I go 1-0 down, it was going to get worse and worse.

“I tried to force things that weren’t there, but when I took that first set, it was happy days. I started to settle in then and nearly threw it away in the last set, but we’ll take the win.”

German debutant Arno Merk and Latvia’s Madars Razma also made it through to round two with 3-1 wins against Belgium’s Kim Huybrechts and Dutchman Jamai van den Herik respectively.

A total of 128 players are competing in the World Championship, up from 96 last year, for an increased first prize of £1m.

The first round is scheduled to conclude on Friday, 19 December, with the final taking place on Saturday, 3 January 2026.

NEW YORK — Anders Lee scored twice and had two assists, and David Rittich made 31 saves as the New York Islanders beat the Ducks 5-2 on Thursday night.

Simon Holmstrom had a goal and two assists and defensemen Travis Mitchell and Ryan Pulock each scored as the Islanders won for the fifth time in six games.

Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry scored for the Ducks, who had their three-game winning streak ended.

Islanders leading scorer Bo Horvat left about seven minutes into the second with a lower-body injury after he became tangled with Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson.

The Islanders took a 3-0 lead in the opening period, starting with Mitchell’s first NHL goal. The 26-year-old was playing his seventh game following his recall from Bridgeport of the AHL.

Lee made it 2-0, beating Ducks netminder Ville Husso on the power play. The Islanders captain scored again with the man advantage late in the first, his eighth goal. Lee has 297 career goals, fifth-most in franchise history.

Carlsson rifled a shot past Rittich in the second for his team-leading 17th goal.

Terry made it 3-2 with a shorthanded goal early in the third. The Islanders pulled away when Holmstron scored his sixth and Pulock added his first.

The Islanders are 14-6-2 in their last 22 games and continued strong play against top-tier competition since losing to Washington on Nov. 30. New York has since defeated Tampa Bay twice, plus Colorado and Vegas.

Rittich improved to 7-3-1 with a sharp performance against the improved Ducks, who have 19 wins in 31 games.

Husso made 32 saves.

Up next for the Ducks: at New Jersey on Saturday.

As the players walked out at a packed Celtic Park, and a stirring rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone echoed around the stadium, the camera cut to Nancy.

The disco lights, which were splurged out on for these European nights, flashed towards the Frenchman.

Hart said the ground in the east end of Glasgow is a “special place” on such occasions but the mood of that place has turned sour in recent times.

Long before Nancy’s arrival, the club was riven with disharmony.

The events of last summer – recruitment issues, Champions League dismay, Brendan Rodgers’ acrimonious departure – had cast a long shadow.

Martin O’Neill’s interim stint back at the club steadied matters, with seven wins from eight games and an uplift in the mood.

But by the time Roma had a fourth goal ruled out in the closing stages on Thursday, large swathes of the crowd had gone home. Many fans had seen enough.

“It breaks my heart to see [Celtic Park] like this,” said Hart. “The atmosphere just isn’t there. This is such a special football club, but it’s only special when it’s united.

“It’s not easy for a new manager and new system, but it’s not rocket science and Nancy’s got to learn quick.”

Perhaps one thing all of a green and white persuasion could agree upon was that Roma were rampant as they cantered to a second win in Glasgow this term.

“It wasn’t good enough, especially first half, we lost too many duels and too many sloppy balls,” midfielder Arne Engels – who missed a first-half penalty – said.

“We know we can do better and hopefully we can move on because we have a final in a few days. We need to keep our heads high and move on.

“It’s up to us to react. We need to look to ourselves to keep performing.”

When seven distance runners from Anaheim High waiting to cross a street near campus were struck by a car on Wednesday driven by a suspected drunk driver, it once again brought into focus the dangers coaches and athletes must deal with while training on the streets of Southern California.

For Hernan Herrera, the incident brought back memories to his senior year at Monroe High as a member of the cross-country team in 2009. He was struck by a car in North Hills that ran a red light. He said he was hospitalized for weeks with knee and pelvic injuries that required surgery and left him sidelined for months.

Herrera was 17. Now he’s the dean of students and wrestling coach at Monroe. He doesn’t see changing the practice routine used by most high schools running in the neighborhood to fulfill weekly requirements of 45 to 60 miles of training to prepare for competitions.

“Everyone understands accidents happen and there’s no one to blame other than the person behind the wheel,” Herrera said.

Yes, schools could transport students to quieter streets or hilly areas with running trails, but that would lead to additional costs and there are many schools far away from such areas.

Coaches have been assigning adults to supervise street workouts for years. Monroe coach Leo Hernandez said he got his position in 1999 because he could run with his athletes to keep watch over them.

Maybe there needs to be additional meetings and reminders for those running on sidewalks or crossing streets to be cautious and to reinforce following traffic rules while being on the lookout for distracted drivers.

Herrera said athletes must get in their workouts beyond running around the school track to be able to compete well in cross-country or distance races in track and field.

“I don’t think there’s anything to do to mitigate the situation,” he said.

While Rohl did not dig out his defenders, former Rangers striker and coach Billy Dodds wasn’t as generous.

“The Rangers defence, that was as bad as I’ve seen it this season,” he said on TNT Sports.

Given some of the goals Rangers have coughed up under Rohl and his predecessor Russell Martin this season, that is quite the statement.

Rohl’s assessment was that those two defensive mistakes cost Rangers, but in reality, the margin of victory could have been greater for Ferencvaros.

“For the second game in the row in this competition, I see a team who is competitive and a team in a forward process, but I see a team, especially in this competition, destroy the hard work in two, three situations,” Rohl said.

The home side had 13 shots in the Rangers box, four of which were squandered by striker Bamidele Yusuf, who could have had a first-half hat-trick.

In attack, Miovski’s fine finish was the one moment of quality for a Rangers side who struggled to create. Indeed, their seven shots was the lowest they have registered in a Europa League match this season.

Keane – assisted by former Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass – was asked if he was surprised by the Rangers team he came up against, but chose to focus on his own high-flying outfit.

“I knew they were going to play three at the back,” he said.

“I can’t speak too much about them because I’m not bothered about them. I knew we’ll always score. We were brilliant tonight, everybody to a man.”

Philip Rivers hasn’t played in the NFL for several years. Neither has Cam Newton.

Rivers is in his mid-40s. Newton is in his mid-30s.

Rivers signed with the Indianapolis Colts this week. Newton did not — and he’s taking it somewhat personally that the team did not even reach out to him.

“It’s almost like a slap in my face, bro,” Newton said on the latest episode of the “4th&1 with Cam Newton” podcast. “ I ain’t gonna lie.”

Cohost Omari “Penny” Collins pointed out that NFL teams may not realize Newton is available because of his high profile as a podcaster and TV personality.

Newton stared at Collins incredulously before shouting his response.

“Did Philip Rivers send any type of sign that he was available?” the regular contributor on ESPN’s “First Take” said. “Why you asking me to do something that everybody else didn’t do? I ain’t no sucker. I ain’t no lab rat. Come on, bro.”

Newton added: “People be holding people to a standard that they ain’t even holding everybody else to that standard. And that’s what I don’t like. ‘Well, you ain’t showed that you [are available].’ Have you followed my Snapchat?”

Rivers spent his first 16 NFL seasons with the Chargers and one more with the Indianapolis Colts before retiring after the 2020 season. An eight-time Pro Bowl selection, Rivers ranks in the NFL’s top 10 for passing yards, passing touchdowns and passes completed. He is currently a Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist, although his eligibility for that honor may soon get pushed back.

If Rivers ends up on their active roster — a distinct possibility with the multitude of quarterback injuries the Colts are dealing with — Rivers won’t be eligible for the Hall of Fame until five years after he retires again.

The signing reunites Rivers with Indianapolis coach Shane Steichen, his onetime quarterbacks coach and then offensive coordinator with the Chargers. The two men are close friends who are said to speak on the phone weekly. As coach of St. Michael Catholic High in Fairhope, Ala., Rivers uses the same plays and terminology as Steichen.

But, as Newton pointed out to Collins, “he’s 44 years old, bro.”

Newton, on the other hand, is 36.

Drafted No. 1 overall by the Carolina Panthers in 2011, he was the league MVP in 2015 and led the Panthers to the Super Bowl the same year. His 75 career rushing touchdowns and 46 career games with both passing and rushing touchdowns were both records for NFL quarterbacks until they were broken this season by Buffalo’s Josh Allen.

Newton has not played since 2021, but he never officially retired.

“I did not,” he said, “and will not because of an opportunity like this.”

Newton speculated that teams might be scared off by his flamboyant personality. “They don’t want a circus,” he said.

He also joked that the Colts already have a star player who wears jersey No. 1 — cornerback Sauce Gardner — and they knew “I gotta get No. 1.”

Newton was sure to state he had nothing personal against Rivers, his “brother from another.” But Newton also made it clear he wouldn’t hesitate to work out for an NFL team truly interested in his services.

“I’m open for business,” he said. “But I wanna be [with] who really want me. If you don’t want me, don’t send flowers.”

Igor Jesus joined Forest in the summer from Brazilian side Botafogo.

His career started five years ago at Coritiba, a then Serie-B side based in Brazil’s eighth largest city.

As an 18-year-old he scored three goals in 24 appearances to help them secure promotion.

But, after initially struggling at a higher level, he left midway through the following campaign to join Emirati side Shabab Al-Ahli.

He spent four seasons in the Middle East, scoring 46 goals in 92 games, before returning to Brazil and Botafogo in July 2024.

There he has excelled. He led the line as his side lifted the Serie A and Copa Libertadores titles last season.

Unsurprisingly, the scouting departments at numerous club around the world were on high alert.

Igor Jesus made his Brazil debut in October last year, scoring in a 2-1 World Cup qualifying win in difficult conditions in Chile.

South American football expert Tim Vickery called him “the modern-day Drogba” after he scored the winner against European champions Paris St-Germain in the Club World Cup group stage during the summer.

When the Dodgers are on the field, Shohei Ohtani dominates the headlines with his base running, his slugging and his pitching. But off the field, his actions also resonate.

In a recent interview with Japanese media, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told a story of when the two-time World Series champion helped relief pitcher Gus Varland’s mother get cancer treatment by making a “very, very big contribution.”

“Shohei does a lot of great things, but a lot of what he does is on the down low, quiet, so people don’t talk about it,” he said.

Varland made seven relief appearances with the Dodgers during the 2024 season — including pitching in the season-opening series in South Korea against the San Diego Padres — and posted a 4.50 earned run average in six innings of work before he was designated for assignment in July of that year.

Roberts said he ran into Varland’s mother during the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays because his brother, Louis, pitched for them. Roberts said the mother told him she was cancer free.

After spending his first six major league seasons with the Angels, Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers. In November, he won his fourth MVP award in five seasons, becoming the only player besides Barry Bonds to win it more than three times.

Ohtani helped the Dodgers win their second consecutive World Series title after hitting 55 homers with a batting average of .282 and an ERA of 2.87 in 2025.

“The summit supported the IOC EB’s recommendation that youth athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport should no longer be restricted in their access to international youth competitions, in both individual and team sports,” said an IOC statement issued about the summit meeting., external

“The summit participants committed to take these discussions back to their organisations for their consideration. It was recognised that implementation by the stakeholders will take time.

“In addition, the standard protocols of the international federation (IF) or the international sports event organiser regarding flags, anthems, uniforms and other elements should apply, provided that the national sports organisation concerned is in good standing.

“The above principles should apply to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, and are recommended for adoption by all IFs and international sports event organisers for their own youth events.”

It added: “With its considerations today, the Olympic Summit recognised that athletes, and in particular youth athletes, should not be held accountable for the actions of their governments – sport is their access to hope, and a way to show that all athletes can respect the same rules and each another.”

The statement added that while Russia should still be barred from hosting international events, “this recommendation no longer applies to Belarus”.

The move follows nine Russian and Belarusian athletes being granted permission to compete in qualifying events for next year’s Winter Olympics as neutral athletes following the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned a ban.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The 2026 World Baseball Classic begins in less than three months.

Between now and then, the Dodgers will have to have some “delicate” conversations with their star trio of Japanese pitchers.

As of now, Dodgers front-office officials said at this week’s winter meetings, no final decisions have been made about whether Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki will participate in the tournament, nor if Shohei Ohtani (who has already confirmed his participation) will pitch in addition to hitting.

“We’re still working through that,” said president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who met with Team Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata at the Signia by Hilton Orlando this week.

“We’re very supportive of Samurai Japan and all that they’re trying to accomplish, and they’re very supportive of us,” Friedman added. “It was about just keeping open the lines of communication, the mutual respect and working together to help all sides.”

What would be most helpful to the Dodgers, of course, is if none of their three Japanese stars pitch in next spring’s international tournament.

Each of them shouldered a heavy burden during last season’s postseason, from Sasaki’s nine appearances out of the bullpen to Ohtani’s four starts in a two-way role to Yamamoto’s playoff-leading 37⅓ innings (the final 8⅔ of which came on back-to-back days in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series) most of all.

Each of them could also benefit from extra rest going into the 2026 campaign. Sasaki will be returning to the starting rotation after missing most of last year’s regular season because of a shoulder injury. Ohtani will be embarking on his first full season of two-way duties since 2023. Yamamoto is coming off what was already an unprecedented workload even before last season’s playoffs, having set a new career high (either in MLB or Japan) with 30 starts in the regular season.

Already, it appears several other Dodgers players will, or are likely, to skip the event. While Team Canada general manager Greg Hamilton said Freddie Freeman would like to participate, the first baseman is dealing with some lingering health issues after playing through an ankle injury for much of last season. Teoscar Hernández said in an interview that he will not play for the Dominican Republic in order to focus on next season. Tommy Edman, who previously represented Team Korea, is also not expected to play as he recovers from an offseason ankle surgery.

To this point, the only Dodgers player other than Ohtani to confirm his WBC participation is catcher Will Smith for Team USA.

More could follow, from Mookie Betts (who has yet to announce any WBC decision) to Hyeseong Kim (who told Korean media he has requested permission from the Dodgers to participate) to Alex Vesia (who is under consideration for a Team USA spot, according to American general manager Michael Hill).

In Japan, however, the WBC is held to a higher standard of importance than most other countries around the world (and, to its fans, an even more significant level than the World Series itself). The nation has won the event a record three times, including in the most recent 2023 edition. And having star players sit out, or even be restricted, in the tournament can threaten to become a culturally controversial development.

The Dodgers understand this.

Manager Dave Roberts this week described the dynamic with the Japanese players as “very delicate,” and said neither he nor the organization “want to be dismissive of what it means to them representing their country.”

“You can’t debate the emotion,” he added, “what a player might feel of this potential opportunity.”

That doesn’t mean, however, the Dodgers aren’t concerned about the cost the tournament can incur, especially for starting pitchers given its place on the calendar.

Next year’s event will take place March 5-17, requiring pitchers to be built up for live-game action nearly a month earlier than they would otherwise. Team Japan will also have to travel from Tokyo (where they will play their group stage games) to Miami (where the knockout round will be held) during that two-week window, assuming they advance through the preliminary round as expected.

Because of that, Roberts acknowledged he was hoping Ohtani (who will still be managed carefully as a pitcher next season, potentially with a week or more of rest between outings) would only hit in the event — and seemed to hint that would be the likely outcome for the reigning MVP.

“The pitching side of things is challenging and gives us a little bit of pause,” general manager Brandon Gomes added. “But yeah, we’ll obviously continue to have those conversations and figure it out.”

The Dodgers will also face a decision with Sasaki, whom they can block from participating in the WBC since he missed the majority of last season on the 60-day injured list, though they haven’t given an indication yet on whether they would do so.

“We just need to sit down and talk through it as an organization,” Gomes said generally of the team’s process for WBC players. “Once we get more info on the players, we’ll have those conversations.”

While the Dodgers can’t prevent Yamamoto from participating, Roberts indicated they could lobby for Team Japan to keep him (and Ohtani or Sasaki, if they wind up on the Japanese staff, as well) on a more restricted workload for the tournament.

“I would like to think that it’s going to be a dialogue as far as restrictions and limitations,” Roberts said. “In the sense of just trying to give them the opportunity, but also understand they’ve come off some stuff, some long seasons.”

There should be more clarity in the coming month, with Team Japan hoping to have its roster finalized by the new year. Next week, Friedman said, clubs and national teams will also submit forms to MLB regarding players’ potential participation, which allows for a period of feedback between all parties.

“I do think that the conversations need to be had [and] will be had, as far as what each individual is taking on and whatever role that they might be taking on,” Roberts said. “And what potential costs there might be.”

For now, however, when it comes to one of the more delicate situations the Dodgers will have to navigate this offseason, “there’s no more clarity than we had before,” Roberts added.

Ireland earned their first points in the FIH Pro League as they edged out England 4-3 in a dramatic shootout after a 1-1 draw in Dublin.

Sarah Torrans gave the home side a first-half lead before Ellie Rayer equalised for England in the third quarter.

In heavy rain at the Sport Ireland campus, both sides looked happy with a point at the end, but it was Ireland who held their nerve in the shootout with goalkeeper Lizzie Murphy making the final stop to give the hosts the second point.

Charlotte Beggs, Mikayla Power and Hannah McLoughlin (2) scored for Ireland in the shootout, while Darcy Bourne, Rayer and Lily Owsley converted for England.

“We’re delighted. We started the game with a lot of energy and that was exactly what we wanted to do,” said Torrans.

“Unfortunately we couldn’t hold them out for the win and but look it’s a number of steps forward for us so we’re happy right now.”

The answer was entirely predictable: “Good.”

The question that elicited the response above from Austin Reaves: How was he feeling physically?

Reaves doesn’t make excuses, and he wasn’t about to start now, not in the wake of a 132-119 defeat by the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night.

Except Reaves didn’t look “good” in the loss.

He finished with a modest 15 points, including only four in the first half.

The underwhelming performance followed an 11-point game against the Philadelphia 76ers three days earlier.

“Just didn’t get the ball to go in the basket,” Reaves said.

Or was it something more?

Was the offensive burden he shouldered up to this point starting to take a toll on him?

Had the former undrafted free agent really elevated his game to a new level or was he just on a six-week heater?

The answers will be revealed in the coming weeks.

The Lakers, however, already know they can’t win with Reaves playing the way he did against the Spurs, when he made only two of six shots in the opening half.

Reaves has to score for this version of the Lakers to beat a team like the Spurs. He has to score because they can’t stop anyone.

Their on-ball perimeter defense is atrocious.

Their three-point defense is dreadful.

Their transition defense is shocking.

“Very few teams don’t have something that you can expose and we consistently got exposed to the same things,” coach JJ Redick said.

Bill Parcells once said you are what your record says you are, but that might not be the case with the Lakers, who are 17-7.

In their last six games, Lakers opponents have shot 49%, including 45% on threes. Redick’s team has allowed an average of 122 points per game.

“The things that help you win on the margins, we’re just not very good at right now,” Redick said.

The defense against the Spurs was particularly awful, the visitors making 50% of their threes in the first two periods to take a 70-58 lead into halftime with their franchise player Victor Wembanyama sidelined with a calf injury.

The Spurs’ athleticism clearly troubled the Lakers, who lack footspeed on the perimeter.

“They were just going downhill, driving and [kicking],” Lakers guard Luka Doncic said. “They scored like 10 three-pointers in the first half. They got up real quickly.”

Spurs guard Stephon Castle finished the game with 30 points. He was one of seven players to score in double figures. The Lakers were behind by as many as 24 points.

“Obviously, it’s a unique team,” Lakers forward LeBron James said. “They got six or seven guys that can break you off the dribble. Super fast, super quick.”

Unlike the Lakers, who have slow-moving guards in Doncic and Reaves, a 40-year-old player in James and an inconsistent center in Deandre Ayton.

The Lakers were eliminated in the playoffs last season by a more physically gifted team in the Minnesota Timberwolves and they once again look incapable of overcoming such a disadvantage this time around.

Asked what they could do to remedy their defensive shortcomings, James replied: “I mean, obviously, you can’t do it individually by yourself. It has to be five guys on a string, communication always at an all-time high, letting you know what’s going on behind you and things of that nature.”

Redick shared a similar view, but made it sound as if the process could take time. In the meantime, he said he expected Reaves to recover from his two-game slump.

Even after the Spurs game, Reaves ranked ninth in the NBA in scoring at 27.8 points per game.

“Yeah, look, the reality is the guy carried us for six weeks and that takes a toll on you,” Redick said. “He kept fighting and I appreciate that. But he’s gonna have a lot more great nights than frustrating nights.”

He better. More frustrating nights for Reaves figure to result in more frustrating nights for the Lakers.

Wintle is enjoying Cardiff’s new brand of football under Barry-Murphy, particularly as he is back in the first-team picture after time on the periphery.

The 28-year-old spent last season on loan at Millwall, but has started 15 of Cardiff’s 18 League One games in this campaign.

Wintle also captained the team in the win over Huddersfield earlier this month, wearing the armband for the first time since the 2023-24 season in the Championship.

“I’m loving it. With this manager, everyone has to be ready,” he added.

“You’ve got to make sure you’re playing well to keep your shirt. If you don’t, you’ll be out because we’ve got players sat on the bench that probably should play every week as well.”

Barry-Murphy has shown he is willing to rotate his players and bench senior figures such as Republic of Ireland forward Robinson, England international defender Calum Chambers and Perry Ng, who was voted Cardiff’s player of the year in the Championship.

All three have demonstrated they have a role to play, however, and the former Manchester City Under-21s coach has so far been vindicated with the faith he has shown in younger players.

“I think if we didn’t have Bri as the manager, there would be a bit of unknown, uncertainty in players, especially the older players, you think, ‘Oh, can we do it?’,” Wintle said.

“Myself and Perry have played League One and League Two for a few years when we were younger and we know it’s not easy. You can get bullied and eaten up but, with this manager, the way we play, it gives everyone freedom and you feel like you can’t get it wrong.

“So for me and for the young lads, it’s brilliant. Everyone knows their role and you feel like you go out there and you know exactly what’s going to happen.”

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Looks like the Dodgers found a new closer for Christmas.

The new closer

Well, the Dodgers did what many did not expect: give another long-term, big-money deal to a closer. They have agreed to a deal with former Mets closer Edwin Díaz on a three-year, $69-million deal. There will be $4.5 million deferred each year and the value of the contract as tabulated for luxury tax purposes will be $21 million per year. It’s a record for annual value for a reliever, breaking the record held by….. Díaz.

Díaz was considered by most to be the top reliever on the market. Last season with the Mets, he was 6-3 with a 1.63 ERA and 28 saves. In 66.1 innings, he gave up 37 hits and walked 21 while striking out 98. He turns 32 in March. He had three blown saves and allowed six of 15 inherited runners to score.

If there is a red flag here, it is that his fastball velocity has dropped from an average of 99 mph in 2023 to 97 mph last season. Which is still pretty fast of course.

You’ll forgive me for not doing somersaults over the deal yet. It could turn out to be an amazing signing. However, as we saw last season with Tanner Scott, relievers are like a box of chocolates: You never know what you are going to get. Díaz has a much better record of success than Scott did. But we’ve seen over the last few seasons what can happen with a signing (Scott, Kirby Yates), decline in form (Blake Treinen) or injuries (Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech, Brusdar Graterol).

But the Dodgers did need bullpen help, and they signed the best reliever on the market, so it’s hard to find fault in that.

You can read more on the signing in this story by Jack Harris.

And an analysis, which includes discussion of a possible salary cap, from Bill Shaikin here.

Fernando misses the Hall

The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee for the Baseball Hall of Fame met Sunday. It was a 16-member committee, and there were eight candidates to consider: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela.

The only person elected: Kent, wh was named on 14 ballots (you had to be on 12 for election).

The others:

Nine votes
Carlos Delgado

Six
Don Mattingly
Dale Murphy

Fewer than five
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Gary Sheffield
Fernando Valenzuela

The committee made a big mistake in not electing Fernando, and really embarrassed itself by not giving him even five votes.

When you look at the numbers, Fernando is at best a borderline candidate. He won a Cy Young and Rookie of the Year award, but won only 173 games in his career.

However, when you consider what he meant for the sport in addition to his accomplishments as a player, he qualifies. The three players who created more baseball fans than any other are Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Fernando. The fact the Dodgers have a massive Latino following can be traced back to Fernando. He created fans in other cities. He opened MLB to an almost entirely untapped market.

But, some people look only at the numbers. Fernando should be in the Hall. So should Maury Wills. Unfortunately, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that either will make it.

And congratulation to Jeff Kent, who played for the Dodgers but will go into the Hall as a Giant. So, not that big of a congratulations. His election enhances the candidacy of another former Dodger: Chase Utley.

New book

Last week I told you about a new book by Ross Porter, the longtime Dodger announcer who used to do the “Ask Ross Porter” feature in this newsletter. The book, “The Ross Porter Chronicles — Volume 1: The Dodger Years,” is a compendium of interviews he has done over the years with Dodgers, including Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, Ron Cey and Sandy Koufax.

Reaction was overwhelming, and as a result, they sold out of signed books. However, if you still want a signed copy to give to someone as a Christmas present (it would make a great gift for a Dodger fan), you have an alternative. You can order the book at Amazon. Make sure you have it shipped to you before Dec. 21. Ross will be signing books in person on Dec. 21 from 1-3 p.m. at Northridge Sports & Memorabilia, 9514 Reseda Blvd,, Unit 14.

Anyone who buys the book on Amazon can bring it to the signing, and Ross will sign it for free. He’ll also sign any Dodger items you bring.

It’s a great chance for you to meet a Dodger icon. Ross is 87. The icons from our Dodger childhood won’t be there forever. If you have a chance to go out there, I highly recommend it.

In case you missed it

Analysis: Could Dodgers’ Edwin Díaz signing portend more big moves later this offseason?

Starz picks up drama on gambling scandal involving Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter

Shaikin: Dodgers signing of Edwin Díaz shows they aren’t going to worry about a potential salary cap

Dodgers and Edwin Díaz agree to terms in blockbuster move to shore up bullpen

Former Dodgers, Giants slugger and noted curmudgeon Jeff Kent voted into the Hall of Fame

Fernando Valenzuela falls short of induction into National Baseball Hall of Fame

Metro votes to approve Dodger Stadium gondola project despite protests

And finally

Fernando Valenzuela pitches a no-hitter. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Salah has the selfish streak and pride that is the preserve of all the greats – as was seen when then Manchester United manager Erik ten Haag, a Dutch countryman of Slot, dropped Cristiano Ronaldo at the end of his second spell at Old Trafford in November 2022.

Ronaldo’s response was to give an interview to Piers Morgan on TalkTV in which he complained, as Salah has effectively done now, that he was “betrayed by the club”.

Manchester United and Ronaldo agreed, within days, to cancel his contract.

Salah’s contract will not be cancelled.

Liverpool would, if they sold, demand a sizeable fee for a global figure who signed a new two-year contract in May, but such is the Egyptian’s strength of feeling, reconciliation looks difficult.

It remains to be seen whether Salah will even get the farewell he hinted at when Liverpool play Brighton on Saturday before he heads off to the Africa Cup of Nations.

So does the evidence support Salah’s assertion that “it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame” and that “someone doesn’t want me in the club”?

Salah has been a shadow of his old self this season. For the first time, someone who looked at the peak of his physical and footballing powers last season has started to look his age.

The contrast in numbers is stark and unflattering.

He was the inspiration as Liverpool won a 20th title last season, scoring 34 goals in 50 starts in all competitions. This term he has made 16 starts, scoring only five times.

Salah’s ability to do defensive dirty work was also called into question, with Chelsea‘s Marc Cucurella suggesting they targeted Liverpool‘s right flank in their 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge in October because he was “always ready to attack”.

Not a problem when Salah is providing a regular supply of goals, but brought into sharp relief when they dry up.

Salah, however, feels he is right to flag up he has hardly been Liverpool‘s only problem this season.

Since it first opened in 1923, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum has been the sole home of USC football. No major sports team in the city’s history has played in the same venue for longer.

But after more than a century spent in the city’s iconic stadium, The Times has learned that the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games will likely force USC to find a new home for its football team in 2028, with the likeliest option being SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

Multiple people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to discuss it publicly told The Times that the Coliseum would not be ready for the start of college football season in September 2028 because of the $100-million temporary track that’s being built on top of the Coliseum field to host the track-and-field competition at the L.A. Olympics and Paralympic Games.

The logistics are still being worked out with L.A. 2028, and USC has not made a final decision about where the Trojans’ 2028 football season will be played. A source said the school hasn’t officially determined whether the Coliseum field could be ready later in the fall, perhaps to host a portion of USC’s 2028 home schedule. But even if it is logistically possible, it’s not clear that USC’s athletic department would find that arrangement in its best interest, given it would mean uprooting the team midseason or spending a long stretch of the 2028 slate away from L.A.

“USC and LA28 are working in lockstep on all logistics for the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” USC athletics spokesperson Cody Worsham said in a statement. “We will share details with the public when they are finalized.”

SoFi Stadium officials declined to comment when asked about USC’s possible move to the venue in 2028.

With the closing ceremonies of the Paralympic Games set for Aug. 27, 2028, there would be just two weeks for the temporary track to be removed and the grass field below to be restored ahead of USC’s currently scheduled 2028 home opener on Sept. 9. Multiple people told The Times that’s not a feasible timeline for a structure LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman once called “the most expensive and probably complicated thing we actually have to build” ahead of the 2028 Games.

This isn’t a new problem at USC. Discussions about the plausibility of the football program sharing the Coliseum with the Olympics in 2028 trace back well before current athletic director Jennifer Cohen was hired in 2023. The belief at one point, according to a person familiar with those discussions, was that with some clever scheduling, USC would only have to miss a home game or two.

Now, according to multiple people familiar with the situation, USC is expected to spend the 2028 season at SoFi Stadium, which hosts the NFL’s Rams and Chargers. By that point, it may also be the home field of the city’s other Big Ten football team.

UCLA has already stated it plans to trade the Rose Bowl, where it has played since 1982, for the modern SoFi Stadium, in spite of a lease agreement that runs through 2044. The city of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Company have since sued the school and SoFi Stadium’s ownership in hopes of blocking the Bruins’ move.

If UCLA forges on with plans to abandon the Rose Bowl in 2026 for SoFi, all four of the city’s major football teams could be playing under the same roof two years later.

Those logistics, however, pale in comparison to what it will take to host Olympic track and field at the Coliseum in 2028, in the same stadium where the competition was held almost a century earlier. The biggest obstacle LA28 faced using an iconic venue that hosted the 1984 Olympics is that there wasn’t enough room on the Coliseum floor for an Olympic-sized track.

Renovations in the early 1990s added 14 rows of seats at the bottom of the bowl, shrinking the size of the Coliseum field. The solution requires installation of a track 11 feet above the field that stretches over the first few rows of stadium seating to met Olympic standards.

To build the temporary track, the Coliseum’s turf and the dirt beneath it will be scraped away, down to the stadium’s concrete base where columns will be placed about every 10 feet. That construction at the Coliseum is expected to begin immediately after the Trojans finish their home football schedule sometime in November 2027.

Bill Hanway, the executive vice president for AECOM — the infrastructure consulting firm hired to oversee LA28’s preparations — told The Times in June 2024 that the track was “an incredibly complex build” in “an incredibly tight space.”

Taking track down will be its own challenge, one that will take longer than the two-week window between the end of the Games and the beginning of USC’s 2028 slate. When a similar structure was built for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, the soccer team that played in the stadium — Queen’s Park FC — didn’t return for more than a year.

Unless that timeline can be slashed, the Trojans will spend the 2028 season switching off Saturdays with their rivals, who, for one year, would be across-the-hallway as opposed to across town.

USC and UCLA shared the Coliseum for 54 years before the Bruins moved to the Rose Bowl in 1982. For 33 of those years, the Coliseum also hosted the Rams on Sundays.

If that feels too crowded to USC, the Rose Bowl is the only other option in town — and suddenly seems to be in serious need of a tenant.

But as of now, according to a person familiar with the situation, SoFi Stadium is the only venue that’s been discussed as a potential temporary home.

On the timescale of Tanner’s return, Barry-Murphy added: “He’ll obviously tell you he’s available much sooner, which is great because he feels so good and he’s looking so good.

“But I just think with the amount of time he’s been out for would mean that we just have to be mindful of building him back up to a healthy level of fitness before we expose him to the games he’s going to have to play.”

Meanwhile, centre-back Gabriel Osho is around two weeks away from a return following an injury to his big toe.

The 27-year-old sustained the injury during last week’s 5-1 EFL Trophy defeat at home by AFC Wimbledon.

“Gabriel Osho is back in partial training, so really good news on his toe injury, where there’s no fracture and we can build him back up pretty quickly,” said Barry-Murphy.

“I would say if today [training on Thursday] goes reasonably well, then I’d say he could be back within maybe two weeks. But I’m not certain, just because initially we thought there might be a fracture to his toe, and then it was looking as if it was going to be slightly longer term.

“The good news means there is no fracture. So if he starts to come through day by day, then that two-week period could be realistic.”