Get the latest updates on your favorite sports, from thrilling matches and championship events to player transfers and team rivalries. Dive into insightful analysis, expert opinions, and behind-the-scenes stories that bring you closer to the world of sports.
Wakefield Trinity produce a dominant second-half display as they recover from 14-12 down at half-time to beat Leeds Rhinos 24-14 and reach the Challenge Cup quarter-finals for the second season in a row.
READ MORE: Wakefield beat Leeds & Wigan cruise past Bradford
Available to UK users only.
Marcus Rashford could return to Manchester United in the summer, Tottenham draw up potential replacements for Igor Tudor and Arsenal prepare Leon Goretzka deal.
England forward Marcus Rashford, 28, could return to Manchester United after his loan spell at Barcelona, who are interested in Chelsea and Portugal winger Pedro Neto, 26, as an alternative. (Mundo Deportivo – in Spanish), external
Rashford wants to stay at Barca, but talks have hit a stumbling block and sporting director Deco has proposed a second season-long loan to allow the Spanish side more time to pay off an option-to-buy fee to Manchester United. (Talksport), external
Tottenham are drawing up potential options to replace Igor Tudor as head coach if they decide another managerial change is needed. (Athletic – subscription required), external
While Tottenham boss Tudor is set to remain in charge in the short term, he has already alienated a number of players. (Talksport), external
Manchester United have a five-man shortlist of managers who could replace caretaker Michael Carrick in the summer – Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, Aston Villa‘s Unai Emery, Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth, former Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi and Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann. (Sun), external
Napoli will trigger the 44m euro (£38m) clause to buy Denmark forward Rasmus Hojlund, 23, and make his loan deal from Manchester United permanent. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Arsenal are preparing a formal offer to sign Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder Leon Goretzka, 31, as a free agent in the summer. (Teamtalk), external
However, AC Milan are also interested in Goretzka, who Bayern Munich have already confirmed will leave the club at the end of the season. (Goal), external
Liverpool will have competition from Barcelona if they pursue a move for Inter Milan and Italy centre-back Alessandro Bastoni, 26. (Sport – in Spanish), external
Manchester United are frontrunners to sign Bournemouth and United States midfielder Tyler Adams in the summer, with Chelsea and Liverpool also interested in the 27-year-old. (Teamtalk), external
Arsenal could earn about £1.7m if Juventus move for ex-Gunners and Poland defender Jakub Kiwior, 26, who joined Porto on loan in September with an obligation to buy for about £23m. (Sun), external
SACRAMENTO — Delaney Shiring, a 5-foot-10 senior at El Dorado High, kept delivering clutch baskets when her team needed them most during a nerve-racking second half that enabled the Golden Hawks to win their first state girls’ basketball championship with a 42-40 win over San José Valley Christian in the Division III final on Friday at Golden 1 Center.
“It’s amazing,” said Shiring, who finished with 15 points and six rebounds. “It’s meant to be. Everything is so historic. We bought into those big moments.”
El Dorado (24-14) appeared to have a comfortable nine-point lead midway through the third quarter when Kenedi Nomura, who scored 18 points, helped ignite a Valley Christian rally. A basket by Shiring near the end of the quarter ended a 5-0 Warriors run.
Shiring’s biggest basket came with 47 seconds left for a 41-38 lead. The lead dropped to 41-40 with 38 seconds left on a basket by Anaya Bannarbie. Then Riley Morikawa made one of two free throws with 13.1 seconds left for a two-point advantage. Valley Christian never got off a potential tying shot.
Kennedy Wood of El Dorado focus on making free throw in Division III state final.
(Greg Stein)
“They had some really good defenders,” Shiring said. “I really focus in big moments when the shot matters.”
El Dorado made the Southern Section playoffs as an at-large team before surging in the postseason under coach Matt Raya, winning a Division 4 section title and Division III regional title.
Wakefield Trinity fought back to edge a fiercely-contested West Yorkshire derby with Leeds Rhinos, while Super League leaders Wigan Warriors made short work of Bradford Bulls in round four of the Challenge Cup.
Following a lengthy delay caused by a power failure at the DIY Kitchens Stadium, Wakefield took the lead through Harvey Smith.
Leeds hit back through two tries from in-form Maika Sivo and one from Ash Handley but Oliver Pratt’s score on the stroke of half-time reduced Wakefield’s deficit to two points at the break.
Matty Storton sent the hosts in front and Ky Rodwell went over to make sure of a 24-14 win and confirm Wakefield’s place in the quarter-finals for the second successive season.
Leeds have now failed to reach the last eight since winning the competition in 2020.
Wigan overpowered Bradford at the Brick Community Stadium, scoring first-half tries through Luke Thompson, Zach Eckersley and Liam Marshall.
Adam Keighran added a fourth for Warriors before Ethan Ryan scored Bradford’s only try and debutant Dajon Sambou completed the scoring to round off a 30-6 win for the home side.
LexisNexis Dragons’ winless run in the Netball Super League continues as they lose to AO Manchester Thunder in round three.
Source link
Wakefield Trinity’s fourth-round match against Leeds Rhinos in the Challenge Cup is brought to an abrupt halt after a power cut causes the stadium to be plunged into darkness just six minutes into the match.
WATCH LIVE: Challenge Cup: Wakefield v Leeds
Available to UK users only.
The Laguna Hills High girls’ basketball fan who was waving the sign, “Hawk Yea!” at the Golden 1 Center on Friday morning didn’t get much of a workout in the first half of the Division V state championship game against Woodland Christian.
The Hawks (21-12) made 15 turnovers and fell behind by 22 points at halftime. They were unable to overcome their slow start in a 63-30 loss. Woodland Christian scored the first 13 points of the second quarter and led at halftime 33-11.
The Sorbello sisters, Siena and Sofia, combined for 17 of the Cardinals’ 33 first-half points. Siena finished with 21 points and Sofia had seven.
Woodland Christian came in with a 32-3 record and was able to get the ball inside. Bailee Broward also made some outside shots, giving the Cardinals unstoppable inside-outside options. She finished with 17 points.
Baltimore Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar warms up before a game against the Rams on Oct. 12.
(Nick Wass / Associated Press)
The Chargers didn’t hesitate to bolster their run-blocking options for new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, agreeing to terms with former Baltimore Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar.
Kolar and the Chargers agreed to a three-year, $24.3-million deal that includes $17 million in guarantees, NFL Media reported.
Widely considered the best run-blocking tight end available ahead of free agency, Kolar should help an uneven Chargers running attack that forced coach Jim Harbaugh to often rely too much on quarterback Justin Herbert — even when his running backs were healthy.
Kolar can also help complement tight end Oronde Gadsden II in the passing game when necessary, but he should mostly serve as a replacement for Will Dissly, who was released by the team last week. It’s also no coincidence that Kolar played for Harbaugh’s brother, John, in Baltimore and was drafted in 2022 when Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz was the director of player personnel for the Ravens.
Kolar, 27, had 10 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns last season. In four seasons with the Ravens, he had 30 catches for 409 yards and four touchdowns.
Like most Chargers offseasons, it’s clear Hortiz is prioritizing ways to add to the Chargers’ offense while also bolstering its protection options. On Sunday, the team agreed to terms with Alec Ingold, reuniting the former Miami Dolphins fullback with McDaniel.
With the CIF state basketball championships set for Friday and Saturday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, how about a look back at some of the greatest individual performances in state history.
There was nothing quite like Tracy Murray scoring 64 points for Glendora in the 1989 Division II final at the Oakland Coliseum. Damien coach Mike LeDuc was then Glendora’s coach. Glendora lost to Menlo 89-83. Here’s a look back.
Last season, Brayden Burries scored 44 points to deliver an Open Division championship to Eastvale Roosevelt at Golden 1 Center. Here’s the report.
In 2008, Klay Thompson of Santa Margarita scored 37 points and made a record seven three-pointers at the notoriously tough Arco Arena in Sacramento to help the Eagles win the Division III title over Sacramento 72-55. Here’s the report.
Let’s not forget Josh Shipp delivering five threes to help Fairfax win the Division I title in 2004 over De La Salle 51-35, again at the tough-to-shoot Arco Arena. Here’s the report.
And how about the 2006 final when Palo Alto stunned Mater Dei 51-47 in Division II in which Jeremy Lin made a 25-foot bank shot from the top of the key. Here’s the report.
For girls, Cheryl Miller still holds the most points scored at 41 when Riverside Poly won Division I in 1982 at the Oakland Coliseum over Los Gatos 77-44. Both teams entered 33-0.
Lisa Leslie of Morningside scored 35 points in the 1990 Division 1 final in a 67-56 win over Berkeley at the Oakland Coliseum. Here’s the report.
In 2018, Charisma Osborne of Windward made six threes and finished with 26 points to help her team win the Open Division title over Pinewood 58-47. Here’s the report.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Through skiing, he has achieved that.
He first experienced the sport on a trip with friends, but it was only two years ago that he realised this was his way to make his mark on the world.
“I touched the snow, and I never turned back,” he said. Etienne wanted to become the Caribbean nation’s first Winter Paralympian.
“At first skiing meant freedom to me, and then I realised it was inspiration. That is what the Paralympics are about.
“It is a message of hope to disabled people and the rest of the world.”
With US restrictions on Haitian immigration rights making it difficult for him to travel to train, last year – supported by his employer Bank of America – Etienne relocated from New York to London to be closer to the mountains of Europe for weekend training.
“Sometimes I’m leaving the office at 2am because I have work I need to finish before I get on a 6am flight to get to Switzerland,” he told the Wall Street Journal, external.
On Friday, after just 80 days on snow in his life, he achieved his dream of racing at the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics.
Aided by a 12-month grant from the International Paralympic Committee’s Sport for Mobility programme, he has joined athletes from El Salvador, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Portugal in making their nations’ debut at the Games.
His result, a disqualification on his second run of the standing giant slalom, is secondary to his story.
“Haiti has a skier. That’s the most beautiful sentence I have heard in a long time,” he said.
“On the first run I proved that Haiti can ski competitively. Before the race, I had won.
“I get to say that there is hope, I get to tell the Haitian youth that if I can do this today with one leg, they can do anything.
“I’ve gone from the earthquake rubble to the top of the Dolomites with the very best skiers in the world.
“Anything is possible. I get to show young Haitians that all is not lost.”
“Beast Mode” started as a phrase people used to describe the running style of former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch.
“I think it was just my relentlessness and my no-back-down type of demeanor when it came to running the ball, like, ‘Boy, that boy a beast,’” Lynch said. “And it’s like, yeah, when I get the ball, that’s what type of mode I’m in — I’m in beast mode.”
Lynch played 12 seasons for the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders, amassing 10,413 in 2,453 carries with 85 touchdowns. Somewhere along the way, he said, the phrase “Beast Mode” evolved into “this persona bigger than myself.”
“The way that I get approached by kids and fans, like the way that they approach me is almost as if I am like a character so to speak, and I don’t think that I was doing it justice because I’m like, ‘Well s—, I’m just only a man,” the Super Bowl XLVIII champion said.
“But I believe in their mind what they had made up as Beast Mode is this larger-than-life, kind of surreal individual.”
An early look at a page from the upcoming “Beast Mode 510” graphic novel, starring Marshawn Lynch as the title character. Text will be added closer to the Oct. 6 publishing date.
(Art by Denys Cowan / Courtesy of AWA)
Lynch is embracing that perception of himself … and Beast Mode is about to become a literal comic book hero.
On Friday, Arists Writers and Artisans announced the graphic novel “Beast Mode 510,” which is scheduled to be released Oct. 6. Written by NAACP Image Award-nominated author Sheldon Allen and illustrated by Eisner Hall of Fame artist Denys Cowan, the book was “inspired and guided by” Lynch and is a “deeply personal love letter” to his hometown Oakland, according to a news release from AWA.
“At its center is Beast Mode: the 510’s legendary fixer and freelance sleuth whose rough exterior hides a code of loyalty and willingness to deal with problems others won’t touch,” the release reads. “If you’ve got a problem the authorities won’t handle, Beast Mode will. No invoices. No contracts. Just results.”
AWA chief creative officer Axel Alonso said when he was approached by Lynch and his team about possibly working on a project together, the idea of turning Beast Mode into an almost superhuman crime fighter quickly came to mind.
“To use a football analogy, when Marshawn and his people came to me and said, ‘Can you do anything with this, Beast Mode?’ it was like they gave me the ball on the one-yard line and I had to just walk it in — and Pete Carroll wasn’t the coach, so I could just go right in,” Alonso said, referring to an infamous play at the end of Seattle’s loss to New England in Super Bowl XLIX.
“It was as easy as that. I was like, come on, ‘Beast Mode’? So automatically I talked with Marshawn and said, ‘What’s important to you?’”
Lynch’s input has been key every step of the way, Alonso said, with the five-time Pro Bowl selection getting final say on every aspect. Lynch said he appreciates having his voice heard and being able to put his stamp on the project.
“From the start, we just sat down and had a conversation about where it was that we wanted to go, what is the kind of feel, the look that we want, the kind of tone that we want to tell the story,” Lynch said.
Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch #24 of the Seattle Seahawks runs for a 67-yard touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during an NFC wild-card playoff game Jan. 8, 2011, at Qwest Field.
(Jonathan Ferrey / Getty Images)
An early look at pages from the upcoming “Beast Mode 510” graphic novel starring Super Bowl champion Marshawn Lynch as an underground crime fighter.
(Art by Denys Cowan / Courtesy of AWA)
“I can’t draw or nothing like that, but any type of update or anything Axel will get over to me and, you know what I mean, yea or nay. And then when it comes to like how certain characters would look, certain names, individuals — I would say I’m involved, but I’m not stepping on their toes.”
For Lynch, one of the top priorities was to bring attention to all the unique aspects of his beloved city.
“We kinda have Oakland being a character of its own,” he said. “The personality of what Oakland stands for is something that I would really like to highlight ‘cause I feel that my city gets overlooked. And then the amount of individuals that we have coming out of area, it’s also an opportunity to show a nod to a lot of the Bay Area cultures and icons that we have.”
Even though the book is fiction, Lynch insisted on authenticity in the depictions of the city and the people who live there, including the way they look, act and speak.
“I think the biggest thing will probably be just the way that I speak in general,” Lynch said. “Mother— from where I’m from, we talk with a certain type of a tone, a type of swag.”
An early look at a page from the upcoming “Beast Mode 510” graphic novel. Marshawn Lynch says his character was inspired by the larger-than-life persona fans sometimes associate with him.
(Art by Denys Cowan / Courtesy of AWA.)
And, judging from Lynch’s signature way of talking, a lot of profanity.
None of Lynch’s ideas has been toned down.
“This is an R-rated book,” Alonso said.
“I want this s— to be turned up to the max,” Lynch added, “so if a mother— do pick this up to read, it’s gonna be like, ‘Oh, this some real s—.’ As well as entertaining, as well as insightful and impactful.”
Lynch is used to keeping people entertained, including as the co-host of the “Get Got Pod” with former Seahawks teammate Mike Robinson and as an actor with numerous roles in TV and film (including a breakout performancein 2023’s “Bottoms”).
He said he’s proud of how the project is turning out.
“When you see work and be like, ‘Damn that s— was nice’ and you start thinking about the thought process and how they got to those points, how they got to those things that drew you in, those things that give you that warm feeling,” Lynch said, “I’m feeling like I’m living that as this s— is going.
“Which is crazy as f— because I played in Super Bowls, I walked the red carpet of f—in’ premieres, and this one feels like, out of a lot of s—, this one is capturing that feeling for me. I’m a [Black man] — you know we don’t feel too much. But when we do, we be like, ‘Oh yeah, you know this s— is special.’”
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: In this game of “he said, he said,” Luka Doncic got the last laugh.
Doncic, fueled by trash talk from his opponents Thursday, recorded his first 50-point game with the Lakers, checking out with 1:41 remaining to a standing ovation with 51 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to lead the Lakers to a 142-130 win over the Chicago Bulls.
The Lakers (41-25) jumped into third place in the Western Conference with their seventh win in their last eight games, climbing from sixth in just one week despite not having LeBron James for the last three games.
James, returning from elbow and hip contusions sustained in a fall against the Denver Nuggets on March 5, had 18 points with seven rebounds and seven assists. Austin Reaves scored 30 points with seven assists to reach 5,000 career points, and Deandre Ayton had his second consecutive double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
The Lakers let the struggling Bulls (27-39) go on a 12-3 run to tie the score at the end of the first quarter but started to heat up when Doncic scored 10 consecutive points in the second quarter. The streak signaled to the six-time All-Star he was going to have one those nights.
“Somebody started talking to me,” Doncic said, “so I woke up.”
From Ryan Kartje: This was hardly a masterpiece of Big Ten basketball, what with the barrage of bricks and busted possessions. Nor was it the sort of night to convince you of UCLA’s chances as a surefire conference contender.
But amid the mess of its 72-59 win over 14th-seeded Rutgers on Thursday night, UCLA showed the sort of mettle it may need to keep its season kicking this March.
It started with Donovan Dent, whose masterful month continued with his first career triple-double — and the first triple-double in Big Ten tournament history. The senior tallied 12 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. He and Tyler Bilodeau, who added a game-high 21 points, were the rare bright spots on offense for the Bruins.
Otherwise, UCLA struggled to find any sort of rhythm. It shot just 38% from the field, worse than it had in any win this season. And still, the Bruins were in control for most of the game after pulling away early in the second half.
None of that will fly against No. 3 seed Michigan State on Friday at 6 p.m. PDT, which beat UCLA by 23 points the last time they met.
From Anthony Solorzano: Just 0.18 seconds separated Michael Kimani Kamau from $15,000. Sunday’s 41st L.A. Marathon was decided by a late-charging sprint from Nathan Martin, the winner who received $25,000 for first place. The runner-up earned $10,000.
With five miles to the finish line and no one else picking up pace, Martin decided to push himself to the end. Kamau’s experience down the stretch was different. Less than a quarter mile from the finish, his race took an unexpected turn because of a fan.
With many fans cheering him on, one interfered and led him off course. A video posted on Reddit shows Kamau following a fan off course for roughly 10 seconds.
He briefly followed the lead vehicles off the designated course while trying to avoid a spectator who ran into his path. Fans immediately stopped him and pointed him in the right direction.
“I actually thought he won until I got home later that day and saw the news channels reporting that Nathan had an amazing kick at the end,” said Ivan Torres, who filmed the scene.
Organizers are aware of the video but no protests were filed and the results are unchanged.
From Gary Klein: Trent McDuffie was a young high school player in Southern California when the Rams returned from St. Louis to Los Angeles in 2016.
In 2020, McDuffie watched HBO’s “Hard Knocks” episodes about the team, and he was enamored by coach Sean McVay.
“I remember just being like, ‘Dang, I would like to play for that guy,’” McDuffie said Thursday.
McDuffie, an All-Pro cornerback acquired by the Rams in a blockbuster trade, recalled those thoughts during an introductory news conference at the team’s facility in Woodland Hills after he signed a record-breaking four-year extension that reportedly includes $100 million in guarantees.
From Kevin Baxter: A report on how Olympic organizers will tackle civil rights, homelessness and human trafficking ahead and during the 2028 Games has not been made public by the city more than two months after it was filed and no date for its release has been set, leaving human rights advocates fearing the issues will not get the attention and funding they deserve.
Council president Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who chairs the ad-hoc committee on the LA28 Games, has not included the human rights report on the committee’s agenda. His office did not respond to requests for comment and Sharon Tso, the city’s chief legislative analyst, and Matthew Szabo, the city’s administrative officer, both said they have not seen the report and “nothing appears on the council file,” according to Tso.
The delay is limiting discussion on an important topic, said Stephanie Richard, a clinical professor who leads the Sunita Jain Anti-Trafficking Initiative at Loyola Law School, which released its own comprehensive report on human trafficking and the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics in December.
William Nylander broke a tie on a power play 36 seconds into the third period and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Ducks 6-4 on Thursday night to end an eight-game losing streak.
The victory was tempered by the loss of captain Auston Matthews on a knee-on-knee hit from Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas with four minutes left in the second period. Matthews stayed down favoring his left leg before being helped to the locker room. Gudas was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct.
Matthews scored earlier to end a 12-game goal drought.
Cutter Gauthier, Ian Moore, Pavel Mintyukov and Alex Killorn scored for the Pacific Division-leading Ducks. Lukas Dostal stopped 23 shots.
1894 — J.L. Johnstone of England invents the starting gate for horse racing.
1920 — NYU wins the national amateur basketball championship in Atlanta. The Violets beat Rutgers 49-24 in the final of the AAU tournament.
1961 — Floyd Patterson knocks out Ingemar Johansson in the sixth round to retain the world heavyweight title in Miami Beach.
1982 — Elaine Zayak of the United States wins the world figure skating championship.
1983 — Randy Smith’s consecutive game streak ends at 906 games, the longest in NBA history. Smith played for Buffalo, San Diego (twice), Cleveland and New York during the streak.
1997 — The America’s Cup, the oldest trophy in international sports and yachting’s most coveted prize, is all but destroyed by a Maori protester who struck it repeatedly with a sledgehammer in Auckland, New Zealand.
1998 — Bryce Drew hits a leaning three-pointer as time expires to give Valparaiso a shocking 70-69 upset of Mississippi in the first round of the NCAA Midwest Regional.
2001 — Philadelphia’s Mark Recchi picks up his 1,000th point during a 5-2 win over St. Louis. He’s the 60th player in NHL history to reach the mark.
2007 — Lance Mackey wins the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, becoming the first musher to win major long-distance North American sled dog races back-to-back. On Feb. 20, Mackey won his third consecutive Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race, a 1,000-mile race between Fairbanks and Whitehorse, Yukon.
2007 — Dallas’ Mike Modano becomes the 39th player in NHL history and second born in the United States to reach 500 goals, scoring with 10:24 left in the third period of a 3-2 victory over Philadelphia.
2008 — Bode Miller clinches the men’s overall World Cup ski title. Miller earns his second title in four years with a 12th-place finish in the super-G combined, along with Didier Cuche’s announcement that he would not enter the season-ending slalom in Bormio, Italy.
2011 — The NCAA men’s basketball selection committee releases its 68-team draw, which included a record 11 teams from the Big East, the deepest conference in the nation. The tournament adds three more at-large teams that will open the tournament in what the NCAA is calling the “First Four.”
2012 — BYU pulls off the biggest comeback in NCAA tournament history on a wild opening night. Noah Hartsock scores 16 of his 23 points in the second half and the Cougars rally from 25 points down to beat Iona 78-72 in the first round. It marks the biggest comeback in an NCAA tournament game. Previously, the largest deficit overcome was 22 points in 2001 when Duke fought back to beat Maryland 95-84 in the national semifinals. It’s the second incredible turnaround of the night in Dayton. With President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron watching, Western Kentucky comes back from a 16-point deficit in the final 5 minutes to beat Mississippi Valley State 59-58.
2018 — Russell Westbrook picks up the 100th triple-double of his career and the Oklahoma City Thunder uses a 16-0 run late in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Atlanta Hawks for a 119-107 victory. Westbrook scores 32 points, dishes out 12 assists and grabs 12 rebounds to become the third-fastest player to reach the milestone.
2020 — Elite football in Britain, including England’s Premier League, EFL, Women’s Super League plus in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, is suspended until at least April 3 because of COVID-19 pandemic.
2022 — After a 40-day retirement, record breaking quarterback Tom Brady announces he will play at least one more season in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Compiled by the Associated Press
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.
Michael Owen has said he “can’t believe people are questioning” whether Michael Carrick should become the permanent manager of Manchester United.
Source link
Where does that leave Rangers, then?
Head coach Danny Rohl has been the subject of criticism from fans of the Ibrox club after his players failed to capitalise on total domination during their Old Firm cup exit last weekend.
And with the German’s side six points off top spot – a margin that could be extended by the time they start against managerless St Mirren on Sunday (12:00) – there is increased pressure and little room for error.
Craig McLeish, Jamie Langfield and Allan McManus will lead an interim team for the League Cup holders and Scottish Cup semi-finalists, who are scrapping for their top-flight status, following Stephen Robinson’s departure to Aberdeen.
The Paisley club have won just one of their past 13 Premiership matches – which came against leaders Hearts – but Rangers’ recent form is not too clever either.
Rohl and his players are now facing questions about mentality – an all too familiar story at Ibrox – despite the 36-year-old saying a month ago that he was heartened by a mindset shift in his players.
A defeat at Tynecastle in December was followed by a run of seven wins and a draw in eight league matches, but Rangers have since won one of their past four league games – a 4-2 victory against Hearts.
That form stretches to one win in five when you include Sunday’s cup game. In fact, they have won just three of their past nine in all competitions.
If this alarming drop-off is not addressed urgently, it will prove terminal for Rangers’ title hopes and intensify the pressure on Rohl from a demanding support.
PHOENIX — Unable to ramp up through the first month of spring training because of lingering shoulder soreness, Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell took a step toward readiness Thursday, throwing his first bullpen session.
Two hours before Thursday night’s Cactus League game, Snell threw off the mound in front of a group of reporters and fans at Camelback Ranch. Snell threw 15 pitches — all fastballs — sitting between 87 to 89 mph.
“I feel good,” Snell said after his bullpen. “I was very excited to throw off the mound again and pitch. I’ve been looking forward to this for a while. This being like the first one where I actually could have the catcher down. I was still limited to what I could throw. I was throwing 87 to 89 [mph]. It felt effortless, easy, could command the ball, so [I’m] happy with that. [I’m] just happy to continue to grow and get better.”
The two-time Cy Young Award winner says he’s targeting an April return, and that he’s hoping to get back faster than initially expected.
“I want to pitch in April,” Snell said. “That’s my goal. So, I’ve kind of been the one pushing it, and they’re being more cautious. I think we’re just talking a little back and forth, but I think them seeing me throw a pen today, hopefully that just gives them more confidence to keep it going. I think we won’t really know until I throw a live [batting practice], I think that’s when we’ll really know. How do I recover from that? How do I feel? And then that will be like, ‘OK, let’s get him into games.’ That’s what I would envision. I’m not the front office or Dave, but that’s what I would think.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, however, isn’t ready to give a timetable for Snell’s return.
“I think honestly, to think about when he’s going to come back, we’re just a ways away from even really having that conversation,” Roberts said, noting that six weeks is “the floor” when you also account for a potential rehab assignment.
Thanks to the depth of their pitching staff, the Dodgers can afford to be patient with building up Snell. Right-handers Emmet Sheehan and River Ryan, along with left-hander Justin Wrobleski, are all possibilities for starting assignments early in the season.
“We still need him to pitch, and I know he understands that,” Roberts said of Snell. “But we do have the luxury of trying to err on the side of caution. … We are certainly better when he’s pitching for us, when he’s active.”
Snell, for his part, is thankful to be throwing again without shoulder pain.
“The whole offseason, I mean, every throw kind of hurt,” Snell said. “It was just every throw, I could feel my shoulder. It was just cranky and I couldn’t get it going. And I thought I was doing everything I needed to, and I believe I was, and ultimately, I’m feeling better.”
Thursday’s Results
BASEBALL
CITY SECTION
Fremont 8, Jefferson 5
Hollywood 17, Diego Rivera 7
North Hollywood 3, Verdugo Hills 2
Port of Los Angeles 9, Gardena 4
Sun Valley Poly 4, Granada Hills Kennedy 3
Sylmar 5, San Fernando 1
Torres 13, Collins Family 1
University Prep Value 16, Alliance Ouchi 6
SOUTHERN SECTION
Agoura 16, Canyon Country Canyon 0
Ayala 5, Corona Centennial 3
Barstow 10, Silver Valley 0
Bishop Amat 2, Downey 1
Bonita 6, La Serna 2
Brentwood 17, St. Monica 11
Buckley 10, de Toledo 0
Calabasas 19, Foothill Tech 1
Capistrano Valley Christian 5, Orange County Pacifica Christian 4
Chaparral 12, Cornerstone Christian 1
Chino 9, Diamond Ranch 3
Citrus Valley 12, Colony 3
Desert Christian 13, Faith Baptist 2
Desert Christian Academy 21, California Lutheran 8
Diamond Bar 4, Ontario Christian 3
Don Lugo 2, Ontario 1
Environmental Charter 18, Compton Early College 6
Esperanza 17, Hacienda Heights Wilson 4
Etiwanda 10, Brea Olinda 1
Excelsior Charter 11, La Puente 1
Garden Grove 5, Westminster 0
Garden Grove Pacifica 2, Crean Lutheran 1
GLCSC 9, Sequoyah 4
Grand Terrace 3, Jurupa Hills 2
Hesperia Christian 9, Webb 3
La Palma Kennedy 8, Norwalk 4
Lawndale 2, Chadwick 0
Long Beach Wilson 14, Oxford Academy 3
Los Altos 2, Glendora 1
Maranatha 11, Northview 9
Millikan 6, San Dimas 3
Montclair 17, Chaffey 0
Mountain View 11, Southlands Christian 2
Rancho Alamitos 2, Anaheim 1
Redlands East Valley 9, Victor Valley 8
San Jacinto Valley Academy 11, Mesa Grande Academy 1
Santa Clara 6, De Sol 2
Santa Clarita Christian 9, PACS 3
Shalhevet 21, Animo Leadership 1
Sherman Indian 14, CAMS 8
Sonora 1, Troy 0
South El Monte 11, Flintridge Prep 6
South Pasadena 11, San Marino 3
South Torrance 8, Culver City 4
Summit 7, Kaiser 0
Tahquitz 9, West Valley 5
Temescal Canyon 7, San Jacinto 6
Trinity Classical Academy 11, Milken 0
Tustin 4, Glenn 0
Western Christian 15, Pasadena Marshall 4
Windward 10, Crossroads 2
INTERSECTIONAL
Borrego Springs 11, Anza Hamilton 10
Compton Centennial 13, Downtown Magnets 3
Hawthorne 3, Westchester 1
LA Hamilton 22, Inglewood 2
Rio Mesa 9, Idaho Skyline 3
Taft 10, Village Christian 3
SOFTBALL
CITY SECTION
Alliance Levine 13, Smidt Tech 10
Bravo 11, South East 1
Dorsey 4, Environmental Charter 1
East Valley 15, Bert Corona 0
Garfield 9, Lincoln 0
Maywood CES 23, Alliance Bloomfield 18
Narbonne 12, Dymally 1
Triumph Charter 14, Vaughn 2
SOUTHERN SECTION
ACE 9, Victor Valley 4
AAE 6, Adelanto 5
Arcadia 14, Pasadena 3
Atascadero 13, Coastal Christian 1
Banning 9, La Sierra 3
Beaumont 14, Shadow Hills 4
Bloomington 15, Perris 1
Bonita 12, Beckman 0
Buena Park 16, Troy 0
Burbank 14, Glendale 2
California Lutheran 14, Cornerstone Christian 12
Calvary Baptist 24, NSLA 0
Camarillo 4, Thousand Oaks 3
Cantwell-Sacred Heart 10, Mary Star of the Sea 9
Carpinteria 17, Del Sol 16
Chadwick 10, Firebaugh 0
Chaffey 15, Montclair 1
Chaminade 13, Royal 0
Chino 21, Diamond Ranch 1
Crescenta Valley 2, Burbank Burroughs 1
Cypress 5, Mira Costa 0
Downey 5, Rosary Academy 4
Eastside 13, Knight 5
Edison 5, Huntington Beach 4
El Monte 12, Bell Gardens 2
El Modena 7, Tesoro 3
El Toro 12, Capistrano Valley 1
Fontana 33, Nuview Bridge 23
Fullerton 9, Brea Olinda 7
Garden Grove Pacifica 8, Garden Grove 0
Garden Grove Santiago 11, Katella 10
Grace 8, Arrowhead Christian 0
Grand Terrace 5, Western Christian 4
Granite Hills 12, Serrano 5
Hart 10, Canyon Country Canyon 0
Heritage 16, Tahquitz 6
Hesperia Christian 19, Immanuel Christian 0
HMSA 17, Compton Early College 1
Indio 17, San Jacinto 13
Jurupa Valley 8, Moreno Valley 8
Kaiser 13, Sultana 3
La Habra 11, Segerstrom 0
Lakewood St. Joseph 3, St. Paul 1
Lancaster 19, Antelope Valley 2
La Salle 10, Bishop Conaty-Loretto 0
La Serna 7, Santa Fe 3
Lennox Academy 20, Animo Leadership 3
Long Beach Poly 10, Lakewood 0
Long Beach Wilson 23, Long Beach Jordan 0
Los Alamitos 11, Fountain Valley 1
Los Osos 4, Summit 0
Louisville 3, Newbury Park 2
Marina 15, Newport Harbor 0
Marymount 15, Brentwood 12
Millikan 3, La Palma Kennedy 1
Montebello 10, Gabrielino 0
Moorpark 13, Rio Mesa 3
Murrieta Mesa 5, Murrieta Valley 0
North Torrance 9, Cerritos 0
Oak Park 2, Sierra Canyon 1
Ontario 7, Don Lugo 2
Ontario Christian 9, Colony 5
Paraclete 13, Bishop Montgomery 0
Pasadena Poly 6, Rio Hondo Prep 2
Patriot 11, Linfield Christian 6
Portola 16, Estancia 4
Quartz Hill 14, Littlerock 0
Ramona Convent 2, St. Monica 0
Rancho Alamitos 21, Century 8
Rancho Mirage 15, Xavier Prep 1
Rosemead 5, Downey Calvary Chapel 4
San Clemente 24, Capistrano Valley Christian 0
San Jacinto Valley Academy 19, Mesa Grande Academy 5
Saugus 3, Castaic 1
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 12, Westlake 7
Simi Valley 7, Valencia 6
South Hills 12, Palmdale 0
St. Pius X-St. Matthias 21, St. Mary’s Academy 5
Tehachapi 8, Ridgecrest Burroughs 4
Temecula Valley 6, Chaparral 4
Upland 9, Whittier Christian 3
Valley View 12, Oak Hills 1
Ventura 13, Fillmore 0
Viewpoint 11, Santa Paula 2
Village Christian 16, Immaculate Heart 4
Walnut 22, West Covina 9
Westminster 14, Western 4
West Ranch 20, Golden Valley 0
West Valley 10, Redlands 9
Whittier 5, Norwalk 5
Yorba Linda 10, Sonora 0
INTERSECTIONAL
AHSA d. King/Drew, forfeit
Alemany 11, North Hollywood 1
Animo Venice 11, Glendale 10
Bellflower 16, King/Drew 2
Charter Oak 2, Legacy 1
Chatsworth 13, Faith Baptist 0
Eagle Rock 19, Alhambra 12
Granada Hills 5, Agoura 1
Hawthorne 15, Fremont 3
Heritage Christian 6, Sylmar 1
Chelsea’s dominant record over United extends to the WSL, where they have never lost in 12 meetings, winning 10 of them.
But the gap has been closing.
This season, Chelsea needed an extra-time winner to knock United out of the FA Cup in their fifth-round tie and were held to a 1-1 draw in their WSL meeting in October.
It has been a turbulent time for the Londoners as they have fallen nine points behind WSL leaders Manchester City. Manager Sonia Bompastor has come under pressure and off-field issues – including the departure of much-loved head of women’s football Paul Green – have sparked debate and concern.
Suddenly, the ‘mentality monsters’ appear vulnerable – but can United take advantage?
“I don’t want to use this moment of vulnerability to do anything other than pretend we’re playing them at their best. Prepare for their best, and you can beat Chelsea,” Skinner said.
“We all know they’re an incredible team. Nobody’s denying that. But if we can get to our best levels in any game, I genuinely believe we can beat any team.
“Whatever form Chelsea are in, I’m going to challenge my team to be ready and focused on winning that game of football.
“Chelsea will do that. They’re not bothered about Manchester United, so we won’t be worried about them.”
Despite United’s strong campaign so far, some fans remain unconvinced.
This is the fourth successive season in which they have reached a domestic cup final, but they are yet to mount a genuine WSL title challenge and have lifted just one major trophy, the 2024 FA Cup, in their eight-year professional existence.
So can the club achieve more? Is Skinner getting the best out of his squad? Should United’s ambitions be more than just reaching finals?
“When you reach a certain level of experience in finals, you don’t want to not be experiencing them year-in, year-out. We also know that [in] the league, the teams behind the top four are investing more than enough to make it an open league,” said Skinner.
“The top-tier teams still spend the most and London City Lionesses are not far behind. We have to set our own markers at Manchester United. Whether you love it, or hate it – we’ve just got to compete. Sometimes we have to find different ways to do it.
“I’m not going to say my job isn’t to get us into cup finals and try to win them every year. All I’d ask is that if there’s a season where that doesn’t happen, you look at the context.
“If you’re not doing a good job [as a manager], then we all know what happens. You don’t have it any more and we move on.”
From “sticking a pen in a couple” while having a youthful flutter to owning a King George VI Chase winner and potential Cheltenham Gold Cup victor, Harry Redknapp has come a long way in horse racing.
The FA Cup-winning football manager’s love of the sport can be traced back to his grandmother Maggie Brown, who was a bookmaker’s runner in London’s East End, at a time when betting shops and off-course betting were illegal.
On Friday, his horse Jukebox Man will attempt to add the Cheltenham showpiece to his King George win in December.
The King George VI Chase is considered the biggest jumps race of the season before the Cheltenham Festival, while the Gold Cup is described by the Jockey Club as the most prestigious steeplechase in the world.
After claiming a photo-finish victory at Kempton Park on Boxing Day to topple 2024 King George winner Banbridge and 9-4 joint-favourite Gaelic Warrior, Redknapp said: “We’ve come into the Champions League today.”
But can he win jump racing’s equivalent of the Champions League?
“We have a chance, but it is a tough race,” Redknapp told BBC Radio 5 Live:
Among those standing in his way are Gaelic Warrior, Jango Baie, Haiti Couleur and last year’s winner Inothewayurthinkin.
Redknapp said: “Just to have a runner in the Gold Cup is a dream come true.
“We have had so much fun with Jukebox Man, which won the King George on Boxing Day, which is one of the most iconic races in the racing calendar.
“To go to the Gold Cup and to have a runner with a bit of a chance is great.”
Victory would be the crowning moment of a 70-year love affair with the sport that began during childhood.
“My nan would take the bets,” he said. “I’d come out for my school dinner when I’m eight or nine and she was getting put in the back of a police van and taken to Poplar police station.”
Redknapp’s nan would tell him to “stick a pen in a couple“ that would be her bets for the day.
Despite his love of the sport, he has never been tempted to ride – “not for all the money in the world”.
”They get injured, these jump jockeys, and then they come back about three weeks later, he said.
“They’re not like footballers, are they?”
Redknapp owns shares in 26 horses.
“You’re not always successful,” he said.
“For every Shakem Up’arry and Jukebox Man and Taurus Bay, there’s lots of others that never really did anything.”
He didn’t miss it this time.
Luka Doncic recorded his first 50-point game of the season Thursday, hitting two late free throws as the crowd at Crypto.com Arena showered him with “MVP” chants in the fourth quarter. Doncic checked out with 1:41 remaining to a standing ovation with 51 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to lead the Lakers to a 142-130 win over the Chicago Bulls.
The Lakers (41-25) jumped into third place in the Western Conference with their seventh win in their last eight games, climbing from sixth in just one week behind Doncic’s brilliance. The NBA’s leading scorer has averaged 40.2 points in the last four games, all wins. Doncic had a chance at 50 points in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in October, but missed a late free throw that forced him to settle for 49 points.
LeBron James returned after missing three games because of elbow and hip contusions he sustained against the Denver Nuggets on March 5. He finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Austin Reaves had 30 points and seven assists, surpassing 5,000 points for his career. Center Deandre Ayton held down a short-handed big man rotation with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
The Lakers were without starting guard Marcus Smart (right hip contusion) and backup centers Jaxson Hayes (back soreness) and Maxi Kleber (lumbar back strain). Smart has been playing through the injury for several games, but with a six-game road trip starting next week, “we need it to calm down,” coach JJ Redick said. The coach expected Smart to be available Saturday when the Lakers play the Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers gave up a 12-3 run to end the first quarter and led the struggling Bulls (27-39) by only five at halftime. James helped give them the breathing room going into the locker room as he scored his first points of the game with 54 seconds left in the first half. His three-point play sparked a quick five-point run to end the half, which ended with a dunk from Rui Hachimura.
Lakers star LeBron James, center, drives between Chicago’s Rob Dillingham, left, and Matas Buzelis during the second half Thursday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
James came alive in the third quarter, beginning with his dunk off a hit-ahead pass from Doncic. He returned the favor by diving out of bounds for a steal on the next possession and the save led to a three-pointer from Doncic.
Doncic made nine of 14 three-point attempts as the Lakers made 17 of 36 shots from beyond the arc, their best three-point percentage in a game since Feb. 20.
After not taking a single shot in the first quarter, James had 11 points, three rebounds and two assists in the third quarter as the Lakers’ lead grew to 22 points.
CHICAGO — This was hardly a masterpiece of Big Ten basketball, what with the barrage of bricks and busted possessions. Nor was it the sort of night to convince you of UCLA’s chances as a surefire conference contender.
But amid the mess of its 72-59 win over 14th-seeded Rutgers on Thursday night, UCLA showed the sort of mettle it may need to keep its season kicking this March.
It started with Donovan Dent, whose masterful month continued with his first career triple-double — and the first triple-double in Big Ten tournament history. The senior tallied 12 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. He and Tyler Bilodeau, who added a game-high 21 points, were the rare bright spots on offense for the Bruins.
Otherwise, UCLA struggled to find any sort of rhythm. It shot just 38% from the floor, worse than it had in any win this season. And still, the Bruins were in control for most of the game after pulling away early in the second half.
None of that will fly against No. 3 seed Michigan State on Friday at 6 p.m. PDT, which beat UCLA by 23 points the last time they met.
But until Thursday it’d been quite some time since UCLA actually managed to win away from home. Not since Jan. 29 had it won outside of L.A., and only once this season had it won outside of the Pacific time zone.
For a while, it didn’t seem like UCLA intended to win Thursday, either. Even as Rutgers gave it every chance to pull away.
The Bruins did shut down Rutgers’ Tariq Francis, who was fresh off a 29-point performance in a first-round win over Minnesota. Francis didn’t score until the nine-minute mark in the second half. He finished with six points on two-of-11 shooting.
The two teams spent most of the first half trading wasted possessions and taking turns with their respective shooting slumps. Four minutes scoreless for Rutgers. Three scoreless for UCLA. Four scoreless for Rutgers. Then three scoreless for UCLA. Back and forth they went in their futility.
The Bruins had plenty of chances to build a lead early. While Rutgers struggled to find rhythm on offense, settling mostly for contested shots inside the arc, UCLA got its share of open shots all around the floor. It just wasn’t able to hit many of them. Both teams shot a meager 31% before halftime.
Those shots fell more frequently in the second half, as UCLA pushed its lead to 15. The Bruins still struggled to put the Knights away, until Dent took matters into his own hands late, pushing UCLA to victory.
The pair’s exchange has become a running in-camp gag in the build-up to England’s final-round meeting with France on Saturday, with Smith, 5ft 11in, 13st 13lb and 15 caps, joking that he and Itoje, 6ft 5in, 18st 8lb, 101 caps, would settle a difference of opinion physically, rather than verbally, next time.
“I thought it was funny,” said Smith. “Me and Maro have been joking about it this week and I told him if he shouts at me like that again, I’m going to punch him!”
Itoje, usually a composed presence on and off the pitch, insisted his raised voice was not a lost temper.
“I didn’t really lose it!” he laughed. “You don’t often see me with a mic. I’m not always mic’d up but maybe I’m portraying a false image.
“Fin is my guy. The way I try to do things is to hear what my key decision-makers think of what is going on, and whoever plays 10 will obviously have an important role in that.
“It’s a good thing that people in the team feel they can express a view, and in sport, if anything, that’s the most kosher of fallouts that the world has ever seen.
“We have had far more blunt conversations between ourselves and other team-mates.”
England have had cause for frank discussions during this Six Nations after three successive defeats left their title aspirations in tatters.
Another against France would mean England finish with a return of one win from a Six Nations campaign for the first time since the tournament expanded in 2000.
England have only lost four games in a single edition of the 143-year-old championship twice previously – in 1972 and 1976.
Smith, who made his first England start in the victory over France last year at the beginning of a 12-match winning streak, is in an unfamiliar position.
TORONTO — William Nylander broke a tie on a power play 36 seconds into the third period and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Ducks 6-4 on Thursday night to end an eight-game losing streak.
The victory was tempered by the loss of captain Auston Matthews on a knee-on-knee hit from Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas with four minutes left in the second period. Matthews stayed down favoring his left leg before being helped to the locker room. Gudas was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct.
Matthews scored earlier to end a 12-game goal drought.
Matias Maccell had a goal and two assists, and John Tavares and Benoit-Olivier Groulx also scored. Matthew Knies had three assists to go along with an empty-net goal, and Nylander added two assists. Joseph Woll made 36 saves.
Cutter Gauthier, Ian Moore, Pavel Mintyukov and Alex Killorn scored for the Pacific Division-leading Ducks. Lukas Dostal stopped 23 shots.
The Maple Leafs are 1-6-2 since the Olympic break to sink any realistic hope of a 10th straight playoff appearance. They won at home for the first time since Jan. 10.