Sports Desk

Barcelona weigh up move for Piero Hincapie, Ruben Dias instructs agents to explore move away from Manchester City and Liverpool pushing for quick agreement with Yan Diomande.

Barcelona are weighing up an approach for 24-year-old Arsenal and Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie. (Mail) , external

Manchester City and Portugal defender Ruben Dias, 29, has instructed his agent to explore options for a move away, with Paris St-Germain, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid all monitoring his situation. (Caught Offside), external

Liverpool are pushing for a quick agreement with RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, while Paris St-Germain and Manchester City are closely monitoring the situation and have already held talks with the 19-year-old Ivory Coast international. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Crystal Palace want to convince England midfielder Adam Wharton, 22, and Japan midfielder Daichi Kamada, 29, to stay following their Conference League final win. (Sky Sports) , external

Bournemouth are determined to resist any summer offers for French forward Eli Junior Kroupi, 19, Brazil winger Rayan, 19, and England midfielder Alex Scott, 22, with mounting interest in the trio. (Guardian), external

Manchester United and Chelsea are among the clubs considering a move for Scott in the summer transfer window. (Teamtalk), external

West Ham and Germany striker Niclas Fullkrug wants to leave after their relegation with Bundesliga side Werder Bremen among those interested in the 33-year-old. (Sky, in German), external

Portuguese side Sporting want to re-sign 30-year-old Portugal midfielder Joao Palhinha when his season-long loan at Tottenham from Bayern Munich ends. (A Bola, in Portuguese), external

Leeds United are lining up a move for 24-year-old Lyon and United States midfielder Tanner Tessmann as part of a busy summer of transfer business. (Football Insider) , external

Manchester City are considering their options if Brazil winger Savinho, 22, who is a target for Tottenham, ends up leaving the club. (Fabrizio Romano) , external

There are plenty of compelling storylines involving Southland teams and athletes heading into the CIF state track and field championships this weekend in Clovis, perhaps none more enticing than Long Beach Wilson’s bid for the national record in the girls’ 4×400 relay.

Having just smashed Long Beach Poly’s 22-year-old California standard of 3:35.49 with their 3:33.83 clocking at the Southern Section Masters Meet in Moorpark last Saturday, the foursome of Brooke Blue, Brooklyn Fowler, Saniah Varnado and Clara Adams will try to go even lower.

Adams also established herself as the favorite to win the 400 meters at Buchanan High in Clovis — prelims are Friday and finals Saturday — after a blistering 51.98-second effort at the Masters Meet that broke the Southern Section record. The Bruins are vying for a fourth consecutive team title.

Servite won the boys’ team title last year and is well positioned to defend it if the Friars pile up points as expected in the relays and sprints, paced by junior Benjamin Harris, who anchored their nation-leading 39.70 clocking at the Arcadia Invitational, which broke the Friars’ own 4×100 state record. Harris remains the front-runner in the 100. His wind-aided 10.17-second timing in the 100 last weekend equaled the fourth-fastest time in state history.

Harris is the clear favorite since the last two state champions — Brandon Arrington of Spring Valley Mount Miguel (who reclassified from the 2026 to the 2025 recruiting cycle) and Concord De La Salle’s Jaden Jefferson (who graduated early) — are not in the field. Harris’ wind-aided 20.51 in the 200 two weeks ago also sets him up for a duel with Nicolas Obimga of Torrance (the wind-legal state leader at 20.66) and Elk Grove’s Cy Lugo (20.67), the Sac-Joaquin Section record holder.

In the 400, Servite’s Jaelen Hunter (whose 46.32 last spring was a state freshman record) will try to avenge his loss to Loyola’s Ejam Yohannes by 11-hundredths of a second at the Masters Meet.

Defending state 300 hurdles champion Jayden Rendon of Carson faces stiff competition in that event from state leader Brady Tse of San Jose Harker, Palm Desert’s Kingston Penny and Etiwanda’s Brandon Andrade.

Venice senior Lawrence Kensinger threw himself into the front-runner role with a personal-best and City Section record mark of 65-11 on May 21 and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame’s JJ Harel will try to repeat as high jump champion after clearing a state-leading 7-01 in the section finals two weeks ago.

Braelyn Combe beat Santa Rosa Montgomery’s Hanne Thomsen by five-hundredths of a second in a personal-best 4:35.64 in last year’s state 1,600 final and the Corona Santiago senior is favored to win that event again while attempting to become the first girl in state history to pull off a 1,600, 800 and 4×800 relay trifecta.

Irvine’s Summer Wilson, who broke the Woodward Park course record at the state cross-country finals in the fall and breezed to victory in the 3,200 meters at last week’s Masters Meet in a personal-best 10:14.25, is the co-favorite to win the eight-lapper Saturday along with La Jolla’s Chiara Dailey, the San Diego Section 800, 1,600 and 3,200 champion.

One-off Test, Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont (day two of four)

New Zealand 490-8 dec (119 overs): Blundell 186, Foxcroft 98; Tector 1-16

Ireland 179 all out (45 overs) Balbirnie 73*, Adair 40; Smith 6-40 & 65-2 (16 overs) Doheny 36*; Tickner 2-14

Ireland trail by 246 runs

Scorecard

New Zealand took control against Ireland on the second day of the one-off Test with Nathan Smith claiming an international career best of 6-40 at Stormont.

After recovering from a poor start on the first day to reach 361-5, the Black Caps continued in a similar vein on the second day in the Belfast sun, reaching 490-8 before captain Tom Latham declared.

New Zealand enforced the follow-on and Ireland’s response was dealt an early blow when Stephen Doheny and Cade Carmichael were dismissed in the first over and they then lost four more in quick succession after lunch as Smith claimed his first five-wicket haul.

Mark Adair and Andy McBrine steadied the ship, but Ireland were 179 all out before performing much better in the second innings as they ended the day on 65-2, trailing New Zealand by 246 runs.

The tourists enjoyed a strong start in the morning session as Tom Blundell and Dean Foxcroft built on their 58-run partnership from day one.

Blundell surpassed 150, while Foxcroft brought up his first Test half-century as they went beyond the 100-runs mark as a pair.

Ireland eventually got moving and took three quick wickets, including Blundell for 186 and Foxcroft, who fell two short of a first Test century.

Heinrich Malan’s side endured a disastrous start to their chase however, with Doheny and Carmichael dismissed by Smith in the second and sixth balls of the first over.

After lunch, Smith continued his fine run as he took the wickets of Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher and Lorcan Tucker while Harry Tector also fell before Adair and McBrine got Ireland back on track, steering them through to tea.

They brought up a 100-run partnership before Adair exited for 40 as Smith got a sixth wicket of the day.

Tom Mayes and Liam McCarthy then fell as Ireland faltered to finish 179 all out.

They fared better in the opening of their second innings, led by Doheny, but they still have a mountain to climb heading into day three.

“You’d take 98, its obviously better than a duck, I was so close to the century, but at the end of the day the team is in a great position to win this game,” Foxcroft told BBC Sport NI.

“In terms of the match, I’m delighted where we are at the moment. We’ve got eight more wickets to go and looking ahead to tomorrow morning, we are hoping we can put Ireland under pressure.

“For us enforcing the follow-on was all about momentum. We will want to try and finish the game off and then we can think about England next week.”

Ireland batting coach Gary Wilson added: “It was a really good spell from Nathan Smith, it asked us a lot of questions and I think you could see it’s a new ball wicket and you could see that in both innings.”

Play will resume at Stormont at 11:00 BST on Friday.

The Southern Section will hold nine baseball championship games this weekend, led by the Division 1 final at 7 p.m. Friday at Cal State Fullerton between St. John Bosco and Norco.

Here’s a look at top matchups:

FRIDAY

Division 1: St. John Bosco vs. Norco at Cal State Fullerton, 7 p.m. Both schools will have their top pitchers ready to go, which means runs will be at a premium. Julian Garcia of St. John Bosco was in the dugout last season when the Braves won the title but couldn’t play as he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He’s come back with a flourish, going 8-1 with a 0.88 ERA. All the Braves’ key pitchers are available, including closers Jack Champlin and Brayden Krakowski. Norco will start Jordan Ayala, who shut out Orange Lutheran in the quarterfinals. It’s going to come down to defense and someone getting a clutch hit against very good pitching.

SATURDAY

Division 2: Ganesha vs. Loyola at Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, 5:30 p.m.: Likely first-round draft pick Logan Schmidt will be on the mound for Ganesha, offering a huge challenge for the Cubs. He’s also the team’s top hitter. Loyola has faced top pitching all season in the Mission League and will have rising freshman Sheriff Hall on the mound. The Cubs also have players who can hit home runs, such as Jack Murray and Luca Marucci.

Division 3: Mira Costa vs. Agoura at Cal State Fullerton, 4 p.m.. Both schools have prom in the evening, so watch for players rushing to cars after the game. Mira Costa has somehow made it to the final despite losing its No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers to injury. Others have stepped forward, and the hitting attack has been good in the playoffs. Austin Olness hit a two-run home run in a 12-0 semifinal win over St. Francis. Agoura, under first-year coach Adam Goldstein, is another overachiever. Senior Tyler Starling hits and pitches with the best, but it’s been underclassmen pushing the Chargers toward a title.

Division 4: Glendora vs. Laguna Beach at Cal State Fullerton, 7:30 p.m. Senior Tanner Grable leads Glendora with 36 hits and four home runs and also can pitch. Junior Dylan Yencho is having a big season for Laguna Beach, batting .455 with 50 hits and an 0.94 ERA as a closer.

Division 5: Kaiser vs. Culver City at Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, 11 a.m. Senior Tino Cuellar is Kaiser’s leadoff hitter with 34 hits. Culver City finished second to Santa Monica in the Ocean League and has a productive freshman in Matthew Riesenberg, who has 36 hits, a .431 batting average and 29 RBIs.

Division 6: Brentwood vs. Covina at Cal State Fullerton, 1 p.m. The Eagles won’t have ace Jack Kaplan available after he threw a shutout in the semifinals, but there’s plenty of hot hitters, including junior Hudson Chase, who has 42 hits and seven home runs. Covina, which knocked out Lakewood and longtime coach Spud O’Neil in the semifinals, was second in the Valle Vista League to Charter Oak. Senior Lucas Thorpe has been providing key hits all season, including four in the semifinals.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

After Arsenal‘s first league title for more than two decades was confirmed, tens of thousands of supporters rushed to Emirates Stadium to celebrate.

“I knew we were a sleeping giant that we needed to awaken in some way.” Kroenke said.

“We haven’t had a team, a squad like this in the social media age. Social media evolved and the Twittersphere and everything else around it.

“The instantaneous information, the ‘Banter Era’ – I’m aware of all this. I turned 46 last week.

“I’ve grown up around this and I’ve seen it all from my own perspective. I think that’s what I’m so proud to see. There was almost a time when you were a closeted Arsenal fan.”

But this success does not mean the end of the journey for Kroenke and his vision for the club, with the Gunners playing Paris-St Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday.

“I think I can think back and say that our stated goal was winning the Premier League, because if you can put yourself in contention for the Premier League, you’re in contention for everything else.” Kroenke said.

“Should we get a great result on Saturday, it’s not going to change or affect who we are. When you win something, the sun’s still going to come up the next day.

“You’ve got to get back to work and there are many teams trying to gain on you, including some historically great ones around the Premier League.

“So, we’re going to look to strengthen because we know that teams around us are going to get better. If you’re not trying to continually evolve and improve, you’re standing still.”

Dodgers beat Rockies, but lose Teoscar Hernández

From Maddie Lee: The Dodgers’ recent string of injuries continued Wednesday when left fielder Teoscar Hernández pulled up limping after trying to beat out a grounder to shortstop.

Once he was thrown out in the second inning of the Dodgers’ 4-1 win against the Rockies, Hernández took his time walking across the field back to the dugout.

He sustained a left hamstring strain, and he is headed to the injured list, manager Dave Roberts said after the game. Hernández, after undergoing preliminary testing Wednesday, is scheduled for imaging Thursday.

“Don’t know how severe it is; he tested well,” Roberts said. “…There’s just no timeline, but something like that obviously is going to be a few weeks at the minimum. Disappointing. He’s been playing so well and he’s a big part of what we’re doing. So to lose him for any length of time is not great.”

This series, as results went, was a success for the Dodgers. They swept the Rockies, outscoring Colorado 24-10 over the course of three games. But the injury losses dealt a blow.

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Kiké Hernández’s oblique shows ‘significant tear’ as utility man returns to IL

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Angels shut out by Tigers

Spencer Torkelson homered, doubled twice and drove in three runs, and five Detroit pitchers combined for a two-hitter as the Tigers snapped a season-worst seven-game home skid with a 4-0 win over the Angels on Wednesday night.

Despite winning two of their last three games, the struggling Tigers have lost nine of their last 11, 12 of 15 and 17 of their last 21. Detroit has lost six consecutive series for its longest such drought since 2021 and dropped eight of its last nine.

Drew Anderson (2-1) relieved Casey Mize to start the fifth and pitched three perfect innings with three strikeouts. Mize had six strikeouts, gave up two hits and walked one in four scoreless innings before leaving due to an undisclosed injury.

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Angels box score

MLB standings

Lakers to layoff some people

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: The Lakers informed employees Wednesday there would be a round of layoffs as the organization continues restructuring under new ownership, according to multiple people.

Those familiar with the situation but unable to speak publicly confirmed to The Times that at least 15 people across multiple departments, including communications, marketing and sales, would be laid off.

Since Dodgers owner Mark Walter took over as the majority owner of the Lakers in a record-setting $10-billion deal that was finalized in October, the franchise has gradually overhauled both business and basketball operations.

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NBA draft reform is a miss

From Mirjam Swanson: In the NBA, it’s all: “Together, on three!” Or “defense, on three!”

Or maybe, “Cancún, on three!”

But when the NBA braintrust breaks a huddle, it’s, “3-2-1, overreact!”

“3-2-1, obfuscate!”

“3-2-1, complicate!”

The NBA’s owners are expected to meet Thursday to approve new “anti-tanking draft reform” via a “3-2-1 lottery.” I just know they’re the type of people who love a good board game — one with rules that take a half-hour to explain, by which time their guests’ eyes have glazed over.

Think they’ll get the hint if someone asks, “Y’all got any Clue instead?”

Actually, I’d prefer to turn on the basketball game, that nuanced, ever-evolving sport that’s beautiful for its simplicity: make or miss.

What’s wild is that a league that brings together the world’s best shooters keeps missing so badly on draft reform — unless it’s actually their feet that they’re aiming at.

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Q&A with UCLA’s Rylee Slimp

From Jordan Puente: UCLA softball coach Kelly Inouye-Perez expected sophomore Rylee Slimp to deliver under pressure.

Slimp earned first-team all-Big Ten honors as the leadoff hitter for a Bruins team that features slugging stars Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery. She leads a group of underclassmen who helped send UCLA to the Women’s College World Series.

“I have seen Rylee Slimp just play big from travel ball to big moments in high school, and she came here to play on this big stage,” Inouye-Perez said. “I think her biggest asset, besides the fact that she can hit a home run, is that she can hit to all areas of the field, and she has such a good eye.

“I think she wanted to be in this position this year. She wanted to be the leadoff and be an impact player.”

The Austin, Texas, native is hitting .428 with 16 home runs, 56 RBIs, and 94 runs. Slimp broke Natasha Watley’s UCLA single-season runs record of 75, set in 2001.

The following interview with Slimp ahead of the Bruins’ WCWS opener against No. 1 seed Alabama on Thursday has been edited for length and clarity.

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This day in sports history

1901 — Parader, ridden by Fred Landry, overcomes a bad start to win the Preakness Stakes by two lengths over Sadie S.

1904 — Bryn Mawr, ridden by Eugene Hildebrand, wins the Preakness Stakes by one length over Wotan.

1958 — European Cup Final, Brussels: Francisco Gento scores the winner in extra time as Real Madrid beats AC Milan, 3-2; 3rd consecutive title for Los Blancos.

1969 — European Cup Final, Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid: AC Milan striker Pierino Prati scores 3 in 4-1 win over Ajax; second title for I Rossoneri.

1975 — 19th European Cup: Bayern Munich beats Leeds United 2-0 at Paris.

1978 — Al Unser wins his third Indianapolis 500, the fifth driver to do so, edging Tom Sneva by 8.19 seconds.

1980 — 24th European Cup: Nottingham Forest beats Hamburg 1-0 at Madrid.

1985 — The San Diego Sockers beat the Baltimore Blast 5-3 to win the MISL title in five games.

1995 — Jacques Villeneuve overcomes one penalty and wins by another in the Indianapolis 500. Villeneuve drives to victory after fellow Canadian Scott Goodyear is penalized for passing the pace car on the final restart.

1997 — 5th UEFA Champions League Final: Borussia Dortmund beats Juventus 3-1 at Munich.

2000 — Dutch swimming star Inge de Bruijn sets her third world record in three days, adding the 100 freestyle mark to the 50 and 100 butterfly marks she set previously at the Sheffield Super Grand Prix. De Bruijn becomes the first swimmer to finish under 54.00 in the 100 freestyle at 53.80 seconds.

2003 — Patrick Roy officially announces his retirement from the NHL.

2003 — 11th UEFA Champions League Final: Milan beats Juventus (0-0, 3-2 on penalties) at Manchester.

2006 — Sam Hornish Jr. overcomes a disastrous mistake in the pits and a pair of Andrettis — Marco and father Michael — to win the second-closest Indianapolis 500 ever, by .0635 seconds.

2011 — Novak Djokovic extends his perfect start to the season at the French Open, beating Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 for his 40th straight victory this year. Djokovic’s 40-0 start to 2011 is the second-best opening streak in the Open era, which started in 1968.

2011 — UEFA Champions League Final, London: FC Barcelona beats Manchester United, 3-1; 4th title for Barça.

2020 — The Boston Marathon canceled for the first time in its 124-year history. The race had originally been scheduled for April 20 before being postponed for five months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

2022 — UEFA Champions League Final, Paris: Carlo Ancelotti becomes first manager to win CL x 4 as Real Madrid beats Liverpool, 1-0.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1918 — Boston’s Joe Bush pitched a 1-0 one-hitter against the Chicago White Sox and drove in the lone run. The only Chicago hit was by Happy Felsch. It occurred when he threw his bat at the ball on a hit and run.

1939 — Philadelphia pitcher Robert Joyce was victimized two straight days by New York’s George Selkirk. Joyce gave up two homers to Selkirk a day earlier. Joyce came on in relief on this day and gave up two more homers to Selkirk. Selkirk ended with four homers in four at-bats against the same pitcher over two successive games. The Yankees won 9-5.

1946 — The Washington Senators beat New York 2-1 in the first night game at Yankee Stadium. The first ball was thrown out by General Electric president Charles E. Wilson.

1951 — After going 0-for-12 in his first three major league games, Willie Mays of the New York Giants hit a home run off Warren Spahn in a 4-1 loss to the Boston Braves.

1956 — Dale Long of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit a home run in his eighth consecutive game, a major league record. Long connected off Brooklyn’s Carl Erskine at Forbes Field.

1968 — The American League announced the league will be split into two divisions. The East division will consist of Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, New York and Washington. California, Chicago, Kansas City, Minnesota, Oakland and Seattle will make up the West.

1979 — George Brett of the Kansas City Royals hit for the cycle and added another home run to beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 in 16 innings.

1986 — Joe Cowley of the Chicago White Sox set a major league record by striking out the first seven batters he faced. He lasted 4 2-3 innings in a 6-3 loss to the Texas Rangers.

1995 — The White Sox and Tigers set a major league record with 12 homers, and combined for an American League-record 21 extra-base hits in Chicago’s 14-12 victory in Detroit.

1998 — Arizona manager Buck Showalter intentionally walked Barry Bonds with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the ninth, and the Diamondbacks held on to beat San Francisco 8-7.

2003 — Atlanta became the second team in major league history to start a game with three straight homers in its 15-3 win over the Reds. Rafael Furcal, Mark DeRosa and Gary Sheffield hit consecutive home runs off Jeff Austin in the bottom of the first. The Padres did it against the Giants on April 13, 1987.

2006 — Barry Bonds hit his 715th home run during the San Francisco Giants’ 6-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies to slip past Babe Ruth and pull in behind Hank Aaron and his long-standing record of 755.

2007 — Adrian Beltre tied a franchise record with four extra-base hits, including two homers, as Seattle pounded the Angels 12-5.

2010 — Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera hit three homers in a 5-4 loss to Oakland. Oakland’s Ben Sheets gave up three runs — on Cabrera’s first two homers — worked seven innings in his longest start of the season.

2012 — The Cubs end a 12-game losing streak, their longest since 1997, with an 11-7 win over the Padres at Wrigley Field.

2010 — Matt Cain pitched a one-hitter to match a career best, giving up only a two-out double in the second to Mark Reynolds, and San Francisco beat Arizona 5-0.

2013 — The Mets honor Yankees great Mariano Rivera, who has announced his retirement at the end of the year, by having him throw the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the two teams from the Big Apple at Citi Field, with retired Mets closer John Franco acting as his catcher for the occasion.

2016 — In the thirdrd inning of a game against the Dodgers, Mets P Noah Syndergaard is ejected for throwing at Chase Utley, in apparent retaliation for Utley’s aggressive slide which injured Mets SS Ruben Tejada in last year’s NLDS. Umpire Adam Hamari also tosses Mets manager Terry Collins for arguing his decision, then Utley gets his revenge when he opens the score with a solo homer off Logan Verrett in the 6th and adds a grand slam off Hansel Robles in the 7th. The Dodgers hit five homers in total as they win the game, 9-1.

2019 — Derek Dietrich continues his unlikely homer binge as he hits three, all two-run shots, in leading the Reds to an 11-6 win over the Pirates. With 17 homers this year, he has already topped his career high, and 12 of his last 17 hits have gone over the fence. For the Pirates, rookie Kevin Newman hits his first career homer, a grand slam off Lucas Sims.

2023 — Spencer Strider of the Braves becomes the fastest starting pitcher to record 100 strikeouts in a season, doing so in his 61st inning in an 11-4 win over the Phillies. Last year, Strider set the record for the fastest pitcher to reach 200 Ks in a season.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

It is a bitterly disappointing way to exit the tournament for Sinner, whose favourite tag was enhanced further with defending champion and great rival Carlos Alcaraz missing with injury.

With 24-time Grand Slam-winner Novak Djokovic also nearing the end of his illustrious career, fitness was expected to be one of the biggest obstacles to Sinner’s bid for glory.

Paris has seen unseasonably hot weather, with temperatures topping 34C, and Sinner has struggled previously in extreme heat.

Sinner was also on a 30-match winning streak, having won five Masters 1000 titles in a row over the past three months on hard and clay courts.

He cramped badly in temperatures close to 40C at this year’s Australian Open, and admitted he “got lucky” when the heat rule was enforced in his third-round match against Eliot Spizzirri in Melbourne.

After opening his campaign against Clement Tabur in Tuesday’s cooler night session, Sinner was first on court against Cerundolo in a rare move by Roland Garros organisers.

The last time a men’s number one opened proceedings on Court Philippe Chatrier before the semi-final stage was 10 years ago, when Novak Djokovic beat Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals.

Although Sinner seemed to benefit initially from the early start, the physical issues that have hampered his display in previous matches in extreme heat resurfaced.

So why have Barca moved for Gordon?

After all, the La Liga champions also had the option – and still do – of making Marcus Rashford’s loan move from Manchester United a permanent one for £26m.

However, Barca have so far prioritised a move for his international team-mate, who also offers versatility on the left and through the middle, but is three years younger and on a lower wage.

There is also a belief within the club that there is more to come from Gordon both with and without the ball.

When Barcelona manager Hansi Flick spoke about Newcastle being a “very intense” side, earlier this season, the 25-year-old will have been among those at the forefront of his thoughts with his speed and aggression.

Flick places as much importance on players’ work rate as their flair and Gordon ranks in the top 40 Premier League forwards for possession won in the final third, high pressures applied and high pressures in the opponent’s half this season.

Yet it is Gordon’s goal return in Europe which clearly caught the eye of Barca and, indeed, fellow suitors Bayern Munich.

Although there were a few penalties along the way, and he came up against some leaky defences, only Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe (15) and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane (14) have scored more goals in the Champions League this season than Gordon (10).

It is a stage Gordon has relished, having sounded like someone who had grown a little jaded with how the Premier League had become “a lot slower and a lot more set-piece based”.

“Sometimes it’s about duels – who wins the duels wins the game – or moments,” he said of the top flight back in January.

“The Champions League is a bit more of an older style game. It’s a bit more football based. Teams come and try and play proper football.”

There are two doubles wildcards available for the tournament at Queen’s, and one is reserved for a team which includes a former world number one, a Grand Slam champion of the past 10 years or a current top-30 player.

WIlliams has never liked the word retirement, preferring instead to say she was “evolving away” from tennis in 2022.

She lost to Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the 2022 US Open, in what the world thought would be her final match.

Williams had reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open earlier that year, and won her last Grand Slam singles title in Melbourne in 2017 at the age of 35.

The Lawn Tennis Association has consistently prioritised British players when determining who should receive wildcards at domestic grass court events.

All four available for the singles draw are very likely to go to British players, but the LTA are likely to feel differently about the doubles given the “exceptional circumstances” of a potential Williams return.

“Never say never, and not wanting to speak of any one individual player, but you will have seen over recent years that those wildcard opportunities are afforded to British players – that is absolutely my fundamental personal belief and philosophy,” LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd said at a briefing for journalists in April.

“There might be exceptional circumstances which might influence a unique wildcard, but otherwise those playing opportunities we want to afford to British players.”

The organisation’s performance director Michael Bourne also hinted commercial opportunities could be a factor.

“It’s also really important to remember that we in the performance team understand that players have to earn that right,” Bourne said.

“We don’t take them for granted. If we didn’t think we had a depth of player where it was right for them to take those opportunities, and there was something else that was good for the business, we would hold our hands up.”

A win for Verhoeven would have arguably surpassed James ‘Buster’ Douglas’ shock victory over Mike Tyson in 1990 as the greatest upset in boxing history.

Both corners were given the scores under the open scoring system after round eight, with the contest level. Verhoeven – who felt he should be ahead on the cards – says it took a significant mental toll as the fight moved into the championship rounds.

Coached by Peter Fury for more than a decade, Verhoeven is no stranger to elite-level sparring and preparation.

Fury has since said he was on the same flight back as referee Mark Lyson and that the official told him he did not hear the bell to signal the end of the 11th round.

Verhoeven himself says he did not hear the bell either, only the clapper around 10 seconds before the end of the round.

“I knew Usyk was going to push it and I knew we were already there, so I just got on the defence and tried to ride it out. And then the referee jumps in.

“He did not just take it from me, he took it from Usyk. If he had the chance to knock me out in the 12th round, he would have done it to settle the fight without debate.

“Pretty strange because in other championship fights I’ve been dropped multiple times earlier and still come back to win. I know that’s one of my superpowers. I can get hit, recover, and come back.

“There are so many opinions and things to say – like ‘what if in the 12th round he would have definitely knocked you out?’

“But no, we cannot look into the future. We cannot predict anything. If we listened to all the predictions I wouldn’t have gone past the first half of the fight, and I did.”

Some of the numbers for individual players are eye-catching.

Les Parisiens’ club captain Marquinhos has started 14 of those European games – the same number of total appearances he made in the league (11 starts, three as a substitute).

From 13 February to 19 April, the decorated Brazil defender didn’t see a single minute of league action, remaining an unused sub in seven successive games. He played every minute of the holders’ six Champions League fixtures in that timeframe.

Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembele completed 90 minutes in the league only once in 22 appearances. Fellow forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia played for the duration just twice in 28 matches.

On 12 May, Dembele controversially won the Ligue 1 player-of-the-season award for the second year in a row, registering 10 goals and seven assists.

He started a mere 11 league games (nine at the time of the award), featuring in 22 out of a possible 34 overall, although a succession of injury problems did cause him to miss 10 of those.

Luis Enrique’s policy of rotation – he used 28 players in league fixtures versus Arteta’s 25 – did come at some cost, albeit not a telling one.

Three of their six league defeats – against Marseille in September, Monaco in November and Lyon in April – came immediately after Champions League ties.

Midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery played more league minutes than anyone else in the PSG squad with 2,453. Six Arsenal players clocked up more than that.

The notion that England’s top flight is the best in Europe is not purely down to Anglocentric bias; Uefa’s association club coefficients rank the Premier League as the continent’s top division, with Ligue 1 fifth.

It should be said that PSG played a mammoth 58 games last season en route to a superb four-trophy haul that included a maiden Champions League success in which they overcame Arsenal 3-1 on aggregate in the semi-final. The Ligue 1 campaign is also four games shorter than the Premier League’s, owing to its 18-team format.

Regardless, Arsenal’s key players have undoubtedly been putting a shift in. Goalkeeper David Raya had played every minute of the season until he was rested on the final day against Crystal Palace with the title already in the bag.

Declan Rice, William Saliba, Gabriel and Martin Zubimendi have also started at least 30 league games for the north London club, something only Zaire-Emery can say for their opponents (the Gunners’ Jurrien Timber, who has been injured since mid-March and remains a huge doubt for the final, still managed more minutes than him).

Of the 10 players with the most league minutes for either club this season, just two, Zaire-Emery and Illia Zabarnyi, play for the Paris outfit.

Five-time Pro Bowl safety Derwin James and the Chargers have agreed to a multiyear extension.

The team announced the deal Tuesday. James was entering the final year of his contract, and general manager Joe Hortiz had said that keeping the five-time Associated Press All-Pro was a priority.

James has helped the Chargers’ defense rank fourth in the NFL in total defense over the last two years, allowing 304.8 total net yards per game. The team led the league in 2024 by allowing just 17.7 points per game.

James, who turns 30 in August, will look to replicate those numbers under first-year defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary, who took over when Jesse Minter was hired as head coach for the Baltimore Ravens.

He has started all 98 career regular-season games played, with 684 tackles, 19.0 sacks, 12 interceptions and 46 passes defensed.

Travis Kelce has become the latest athlete to buy into a professional sports team, purchasing a minority stake in the Cleveland Guardians, the MLB franchise he rooted for growing up in Cleveland Heights, a vibrant suburb 15 minutes from downtown.

Ballplayers buying into professional sports franchises has become almost routine. And why not? They are wealthy, love sports and often want an ownership stake of a team in a city full of fans who love them back.

Kelce is the latest to do so. The only question is, what took him so long?

“I have so much love for this city,” Kelce told ESPN. “I say it all the time: I’m just a kid from the Heights living the dream. I credit every good thing in my life to Cleveland and being raised here with the values and the people and the work ethic.

“Cleveland Heights is such a diverse and dynamic place. Every friend, neighbor, teacher and teammate — they all made me the man I am today.”

And that man is very wealthy. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end and burgeoning business titan has earned $111 million playing in the NFL. He and his brother Jason have a $100-million deal with Amazon Wondery for their popular New Heights podcast.

Kelce, 36, also makes an estimated $35 million a year from endorsement deals with Nike, Pfizer, State Farm and other major brands.

Oh, and let’s not forget that his fiancee, Taylor Swift, is the wealthiest female musician in the world with an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion.

Although Swift has never publicly mentioned owning a sports franchise, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did comment on the possibility at a Super Bowl news conference two years ago.

Tom Brady had been approved as part owner of the Raiders, boosting season-ticket sales, leading to this question posed to Goodell.

“With that, has anyone approached Taylor Swift about being a minority partner in the Chiefs?”

Goodell grinned and replied, “I really don’t know the answer to that one. If she’s interested, she has the ability to do it, let’s put it that way.”

The list of athletes who own a piece of sports franchises is long. Begin with Magic Johnson and Billie Jean King, part of the group that owns the Dodgers and Sparks. Kelce’s Chiefs passing partner Patrick Mahomes has been a minority owner of the Kansas City Royals since 2020.

Tennis superstar sisters Venus and Serena Williams became the first black women to hold a stake in an NFL team when they became minority owners of the Miami Dolphins in 2009.

Giannis Antetokounmpo expressed his love for Milwaukee by purchasing a stake in the Brewers baseball team. The Lakers are rumored to possibly trade for the Milwaukee Bucks superstar this offseason. Would that make Antetokounmpo a candidate to take the Angels off the hands of Arte Moreno, who at games has been blistered by a large group of shirtless fans chanting “sell the team?”

Because he is an investor in the Fenway Sports Group, Lakers star LeBron James owns a piece of the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC, the Pittsburgh Penguins and RFK Racing. The 41-year-old veteran of 23 NBA seasons makes no secret that he someday wants to own an NBA team.

“I got so much to give to the game. I know what it takes to win at this level. I know talent,” James said in 2021. “I also know how to run a business as well. And so, that is my goal. My goal is to own an NBA franchise.”

James is the first active NBA player to achieve billionaire status, and his estimated net worth of $1.3 billion to $1.5 billion puts him in Swift territory. He might not need to preface his ownership stake with the word minority.

Kelce, meanwhile, is happy for now to own just a piece of the Guardians, whose value has risen from $1 billion four years ago to $1.7 billion today.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have a front-row seat to good ownership in my career, and I know the best teams prioritize culture,” Kelce said. “Everyone is there to play their role, and right now, I’m here to observe and learn and really to support the team and the city when and where I can.”

The Dodgers’ recent string of injuries continued Wednesday when left fielder Teoscar Hernández pulled up limping after trying to beat out a grounder to shortstop.

Once he was thrown out in the second inning of the Dodgers’ 4-1 win against the Rockies, Hernández took his time walking across the field back to the dugout.

The Dodgers announced that he sustained a left hamstring strain. Utility player Hyeseong Kim replaced Hernández in left field.

This series, as results went, was a success for the Dodgers. They swept the Rockies, outscoring Colorado 24-10 over the course of three games. But the injury losses dealt a blow.

Earlier this month, the Dodgers’ rotation bore the brunt of the injury bug. But recently, it has spread to the position players. Over the last week, three Dodgers position players have left games with injuries.

Last Friday in Milwaukee, third baseman Max Muncy was hit in the wrist by a pitch and sidelined for three games.

Utility player Kiké Hernández made his season debut Monday, after starting the season on the injured list while recovering from offseason surgery on his left elbow, and helped fill in for Muncy’s temporary absence. But Hernández logged just four at-bats before landing on the IL again, lifted from Tuesday’s game with a strained left oblique.

Even after tweaking his oblique in batting practice Monday, Kiké Hernández went four for four with two doubles and a home run as he played through the injury.

Teoscar Hernández’s hamstring strain came in the midst of a hot offensive stretch. Entering Wednesday, he had a 1.072 OPS in his last 13 games.

Manager Dave Roberts also pulled Shohei Ohtani from the Dodgers’ blowout win Tuesday, after he was hit on the right hand by a changeup. But that had more to do with the score, an opportunity to get Dalton Rushing more at-bats, and getting Ohtani ready for his start on the mound Wednesday.

For the second week in a row, Ohtani was in the batting order while also pitching. And for the second pitching start in a row, he gave himself run support with a leadoff home run.

This jumped off his bat at an exit velocity of 111.3 mph, according to Statcast, landing on the netting beyond the center field wall.

Shohei Ohtani runs the bases after leading off Wednesday’s game with a home run.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

His pitching performance was less straightforward. He held the Rockies hitless through six innings. But he still gave up a run, thanks to a total of five free passes (four walks and a hit batter).

Two of them set up the Rockies’ scoring opportunity. With runners on first and third in the fourth inning, the Rockies’ Willi Castro hit a grounder to the right side of the infield, pulling first baseman Freddie Freeman away from the base.

But second baseman Alex Freeeland, recalled Wednesday as the corresponding move as Kiké Hernández went on the IL, ranged to his left and dove to first base with the ball, beating Castro to the bag for the second out of the inning. Ohtani acknowledged Freeland with a point.

A run scored, but Freeland’s hustle set up Ohtani to get out of the inning without further damage.

The Dodgers held the Rockies hitless until the eighth inning, when Tyler Freeman hit a ground-ball single through the right side of the field off reliever Tanner Scott, in the midst of a scoreless inning.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers scored almost all their runs on homers, with Freddie Freeman and Andy Pages adding their own solo blasts after Ohtani, and Alex Call contributing an RBI single.

CITY SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS
Wednesday’s Results
SEMIFINALS

OPEN DIVISION
#1 Granada Hills 12, #4 San Pedro 9
#2 Carson 12, #3 Birmingham 2

DIVISION I
#1 Venice 7, #4 Chatsworth 2
#6 Eagle Rock 5, #10 Verdugo Hills 4

DIVISION II
#1 LA Marshall 5, #5 Sylmar 4
#6 Arleta 8, #18 Taft 5

DIVISION III
#5 South East 16, #9 Palisades 8
#15 Reseda 20, #11 Westchester 9

DIVISION IV
#4 Huntington Park 23, #16 Vaughn 2
#14 Franklin 5, #18 Diego Rivera 3

Note: Finals in all divisions May 29-30 (sites and times TBA).

DETROIT — Spencer Torkelson homered, doubled twice and drove in three runs, and five Detroit pitchers combined for a two-hitter as the Tigers snapped a season-worst seven-game home skid with a 4-0 win over the Angels on Wednesday night.

Despite winning two of their last three games, the struggling Tigers have lost nine of their last 11, 12 of 15 and 17 of their last 21. Detroit has lost six consecutive series for its longest such drought since 2021 and dropped eight of its last nine.

Drew Anderson (2-1) relieved Casey Mize to start the fifth and pitched three perfect innings with three strikeouts. Mize had six strikeouts, gave up two hits and walked one in four scoreless innings before leaving due to an undisclosed injury.

Kyle Finnegan pitched a 1-2-3 eighth before Kenley Jansen threw two-thirds of an inning before leaving the game with a trainer and Brenan Hanifee recorded the final out.

Colt Keith, Kevin McGonigle and Dillon Dingler each had two hits for the Tigers.

José Soriano (6-4) gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings for the Angels, who had their season-best four-game winning streak halted.

Jorge Soler and Donovan Walton accounted for the Angels hits with singles.

Keith, McGonigle and Dingler hit consecutive singles to leadoff the first inning. Dingler’s hit drove in Keith, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

Torkelson hit a solo homer to lead off the second.

Vaughn Grissom, who hit his first career grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs in LA’s 10-6 win Tuesday in the series opener, went 0 for 3 with a strikeout and walk.

There was certainly some surprise when England boss Tuchel opted to leave Wharton out of his 26-man squad heading to the World Cup.

Palace may have not had a great domestic season given they finished 15th in the Premier League and went out of the FA Cup against non-League Macclesfield – but they have now won a European trophy and Wharton was hugely influential in that.

This Conference League final performance was another reason to be wondering why Wharton is not on the plane.

The decision to pick Brentford midfielder Henderson at the age of 35 over the 22-year-old Wharton may be the most eye-catching and surprising selection.

Henderson has obviously been picked for his experience but Wharton would probably have more to give on the pitch if you compare not only their performances this season but also last term.

“I understand why the manager has taken Henderson but for me if he is going to do that kind of job, take him as a coach,” said Hoddle. “Take him as a player-coach if you like but I think there was a spot there for Wharton.”

The re-emergence of Mainoo at Manchester United has also not helped Wharton given the Palace midfielder was in Tuchel’s squads for the last two international breaks and featured in qualifiers against Serbia and Albania before a friendly appearance against Uruguay in March.

Mainoo, given he was being frozen out at Old Trafford by Ruben Amorim for the first half of the season, was not involved under Tuchel until the March friendlies and now has won his way into favour.

Both were at Euro 2024 but Wharton never got on the pitch while Mainoo started all four knockout games, including the final.

Arsenal‘s Declan Rice is surely one of the first names on the team-sheet and Elliot Anderson is expected to partner him while Tuchel also has Bellingham, Eze and Rogers as midfield options.

It certainly feels a very harsh decision to leave someone like Wharton at home, even if Tuchel has many choices in the position.

Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernández’s said he was hoping for “somewhat good news tomorrow” after leaving Tuesday’s game with an oblique injury.

But on Wednesday, an MRI exam showed a “significant tear” in his left oblique, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Hernández is expected to be out six to eight weeks, but recovery timelines for oblique strains vary, depending on how long it takes the player to become symptom-free.

“You don’t really know what the timeline is, but it’s certainly warranting an IL stint,” Roberts said.

In a corresponding move, infielder Alex Freeland was called up from triple-A Oklahoma City.

After returning from a offseason surgery on his left elbow, the 34-year-old Hernández went four for four, including a home run and two RBIs.

However, Hernández said he tweaked his oblique during batting practice Monday, though he felt fine enough to play. The pain returned after his third-inning home run swing, and he was pulled in the top of the fifth Tuesday.

In his absence, the Dodgers will be splitting time between Freeland and Hyeseong Kim, with Freeland getting the majority of the reps. The Dodgers are also navigating third baseman Max Muncy’s return.

“Right now, he’s earned the opportunity to get some looks consistently, and it’s a credit to him to go back down and play well,” Roberts said of Freeland.

In 33 games with the Dodgers, Freeland collected 23 hits and 2 home runs, walking 11 times.

But his time in the minor leagues was productive, as he hit .265 with four home runs and 16 RBIs in 11 games with the Comets.

“It was great, that’s what we talked about doing is going down there and knocking the door down and taking that frustration out on those pitchers,” Roberts said. “And that’s what he did.”

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Freeland’s next step is to show he can make those improvements against Major League pitching. His first chance will be against the Colorado Rockies’ Tomoyuki Sugano as Freeland was inserted into the starting lineup at second base.

“You know you’re in a big room, and you’re trying to find your way, not make mistakes,” Roberts said of Freeland. “[He has to] give himself some grace and go out there and play hard and be a tough out. Go out there and play defense, and then good things happen.

With Freeland playing, Kim will take a backseat. In the 27-year-old’s 42 games with the Dodgers, Kim hasn’t reached his previous successes from last season. Currently, he is batting .254 with 29 hits and 11 RBIs.

When asked about how the Dodgers plan to balance also getting Kim some at-bats, Roberts replied: “Hyeseong’s gotten a lot of runway, certainly versus right-handed pitching, and I think that right now it’s skewing towards Alex getting more of the opportunities.”

The Granada Hills and Carson softball programs know each other so well they might as well put on their MaxPreps schedule before the season a date for their annual game to decide the City Section Open Division championship.

It’s happening for a fourth consecutive season Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Legacy High in South Gate. Last season, Granada Hills ended a three-game losing streak to the Colts.

On Wednesday, both teams won their semifinal games. Granada Hills’ No. 1 and No. 2 batters in the lineup, Elysse Diaz and Zoe Justman, had big games in a 12-9 win over San Pedro. They combined to go five for eight with five RBIs. Justman had a home run. Gina Evangelista hit an inside-the-park grand slam.

San Pedro scored five runs in the seventh to give the Highlanders a little scare.

At Carson, the Colts came away with a 12-2 semifinal win over Birmingham. Sophomore Anaiyah Popoalii had a home run, double and three RBIs. Olivia Lomeli went three for four with three RBIs. Pitcher Isabella Campos threw a complete game.

The Lakers informed employees Wednesday there would be a round of layoffs as the organization continues restructuring under new ownership, according to multiple people.

Those familiar with the situation but unable to speak publicly confirmed to The Times that at least 15 people across multiple departments, including communications, marketing and sales, would be laid off.

Since Dodgers owner Mark Walter took over as the majority owner of the Lakers in a record-setting $10-billion deal that was finalized in October, the franchise has gradually overhauled both business and basketball operations.

The team hired a new assistant general manager this week, bringing Rohan Ramadas in from the New Orleans Pelicans to oversee strategy and data systems. The front office, led by president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka, will hire another assistant general manager focused on scouting and player development.

The Lakers functioned as a family business for more than 45 years under the ownership of the late Jerry Buss and his children. They blossomed into one of the premier sports teams in the world, but the ownership change brought swift business changes.

Former Dodgers executive vice president and chief marketing officer Lon Rosen became the Lakers’ president of business operations and created two positions to boost revenue and oversee business strategy.

Michael Spetner, who also most recently worked for the Dodgers, was hired as chief strategy and growth officer while Ryan Kantor, a former business executive with the Clippers, joined as the vice president of global partnerships.

Times staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report.

It was only a couple of weeks after beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley that Palace were hit with a devastating sucker-punch.

It was early July and south London was eagerly anticipating the prospect of Selhurst Park hosting Europa League football for the first time.

But after Uefa deemed Palace to have breached its multi-club ownership rules – with American businessman John Textor holding stakes in both the Eagles and French side Lyon, who had also qualified for the Europa League – Glasner’s team were demoted to the Conference League.

The shock verdict threatened to suck the life out of Palace’s success before the new season had even began, with Parish describing it as “probably one of the greatest injustices that has ever happened in European football” before an ultimately unsuccessful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

After a 120-year wait for a first major trophy, however, it was going to take more than that to dampen Palace’s spirits.

The Eagles showed no signs of feeling sorry for themselves when starting the new season by defeating Premier League champions Liverpool in the Community Shield in the now-familiar surroundings of Wembley.

But the turbulence continued with the departure of talisman Eberechi Eze, who left for a record fee to join Arsenal after five years at Selhurst Park.

And they nearly also have had to cope with the loss of star defender and captain Marc Guehi had Glasner not intervened.

The England international was all set to rubber-stamp a move to Liverpool until Palace pulled the plug late on deadline day after a move for his intended replacement – Brighton’s Igor Julio – failed to materialise.

After Guehi’s move to fell through – which would have brought Palace a fee in excess of £35m for a player in the final 12 months of his contract – the lines between Glasner and Parish appeared to blur.

It was reported that the Austrian manager, also in the final year of his deal at Selhurst Park, had threatened to quit if Parish had sanctioned Guehi’s move to Merseyside.

Glasner was left frustrated that Palace, preparing for their debut European campaign – which would include at least six additional games in the league phase of the competition – seemed willing to sanction departures rather than retain and strengthen the squad they already had.

It was clear tensions were rising behind the scenes at Selhurst Park.