Category: Off The Field

Amid accusations, Lletget admits to ‘moment I regret deeply’

“A 10-minute lapse in judgment resulted in an extortion plot”

Sebastián Lletget appears to have screwed up pretty bad.

Lletget is currently embroiled in a very public scandal in which he’s been accused of cheating on his fiancée, pop star Becky G.

The FC Dallas midfielder appeared to admit at least some kind of wrongdoing in a lengthy Instagram post on Monday, saying that a “10-minute lapse in judgment resulted in an extortion plot.”

Last week, an Instagram user alleged that Lletget cheated on Becky G last year in Madrid, and seemingly had proof in the form of pictures, audio, text messages and direct messages. The user’s account has since been deleted, but the posts went viral.

After missing FC Dallas’s 2-1 loss at LAFC on Saturday due to “personal reasons,” Lletget admitted to “a moment I regret deeply” in his Instagram post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CqS4TsyM5Vs/

“I have decided to commit myself to a mental wellness program to work on the parts of me that deeply need healing,” Lletget said before offering an apology to Becky G.

“To Becky, you have been the light in my life, my strength, who has always shown me unconditional love. Instead of honoring that love every day, I have done the opposite, hurting you, and disrespecting the one person I love more than anything. I am so sorry and know I have to do whatever it takes to earn back the trust and love you deserve.

“To my FC Dallas family, my fans, friends & family, thank you for your love and support. I will do my best to be my best.”

The couple got engaged in December 2022.

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Yes, that really was Jesse Marsch at Princeton’s NCAA tournament upset over Arizona

It’s Marsch Madness!

In the midst of Princeton’s wild comeback against Arizona in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, a familiar-looking face was shown celebrating wildly in the stands.

If you squinted really hard, it sure looked like Jesse Marsch was in attendance at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, going nuts along with the rest of the Princeton fans as their No. 15-seeded team stunned the No. 2 Wildcats 59-55 in the tournament’s first round.

Marsch being there would makes some sense. The ex-Leeds coach is a Princeton alum, and he does, um, have some free time on his hands right now.

And then, there was the confirmation from the Princeton coach himself, Mitch Henderson.

Henderson, who was a point guard on the 1996 Princeton team that scored a famous upset over UCLA as a No. 13 seed, led his team to a shocking win on Thursday. The Tigers were down 10 points with eight minutes left before holding the heavily favored Wildcats scoreless for the last 4:43, going on a 9-0 run to close the game out.

Marsch was loving it.

It’s unclear if Marsch will be in attendance on Saturday when Princeton faces Missouri for a spot in the Sweet 16. After all, there is now another vacancy in the Premier League and he’s the bookies’ third favorite for the job.

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EA Sports reveals 10 highest-rated NWSL players in FIFA 23

The NWSL is set to be part of the hugely popular video game for the first time

EA Sports has revealed the 10 highest rated NWSL players in FIFA 23, as the league’s teams are available in the game for the first time ever.

San Diego Wave star Alex Morgan leads the list with a rating of 90, while Debinha — who signed with the Kansas City Current in a huge free agent deal this offseason — is next up, rated 88 overall.

U.S. women’s national team starters Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars), and Rose Lavelle (OL Reign) are next on the list, all given an 87 rating.

EA Sports has announced all of the player ratings across the NWSL, which can be found along with their ratings for women’s players in the Women’s Super League, Division 1 Féminine, and prominent national teams like Spain and Germany. The full list of women’s player ratings can be found here.

Following a landmark partnership between the league, the NWSL Players’ Association, and EA Sports, FIFA 23 will include NWSL players starting on March 15 in the following modes:

  • Kick Off
  • Tournament Mode
  • Head to Head season
  • Co-op Seasons
  • Online Friendlies

FIFA 23 will also include four NWSL stadiums, authentic kit renderings, and celebrations.

Here are the top 10 — or really 11, due to a three-way tie for ninth place — NWSL players in FIFA 23.

Tottenham choose Beyonce over pesky local stadium rules

Beyonce added an extra London date at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and local councilors say that violates Tottenham’s agreement with Haringey.

Sometimes in life, you have a choice where breaking the rules is the only good option.

Tottenham was just faced with such a decision, and they made the right call by opting for more Beyoncé concerts even as they left local government figures “disappointed” by doing so.

The issue is simple: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is in Haringey, one of London’s many boroughs, and the license agreement allowing the team to play there also allows for them to host up to six concerts in a calendar year.

Meanwhile, Tottenham had booked Beyoncé’s massive Renaissance tour, which was set to come to Spurs’ home stadium on May 29-30, June 1, and June 3. But London is a massive global city, and Beyoncé is Beyoncé; four nights is not enough. Everyone can agree on that as fact and not simply an example of editorializing from a staff writer.

So the logical move was to just book one more night, and that’s exactly what happened: back in February, it was announced that Beyoncé will play a June 4 show. If you want to go, you better hurry, and you better be ready to spend: general admission tickets are already sold out, and the BBC is reporting that the remaining premium tickets left start at £349.

There’s just one problem: Tottenham had also booked the Red Hot Chili Peppers for July 21, and Wizkid for July 29. The extra Beyoncé show would be a seventh concert, in violation of Tottenham’s pact with the Haringey council.

Tottenham burdened by paperwork

Announcing the show and selling thousands of tickets is a classic example of being more willing to ask for forgiveness than permission, and that appears to be Tottenham’s strategy.

Dana Carlin, the cabinet member for planning at Haringey Council, said that the council has told the team that the extra show will require some work on their end.

“Tottenham Hotspur have been advised that they must engage with the community, ward councillors and submit a planning application,” Carlin told the BBC. “We are disappointed that we have got to this stage.”

Still, no matter the frustration from the council, the power of Beyoncé is such that it appears all parties want this to end with a fifth show for the pop icon. The Haringey Council is reportedly going to work with Tottenham through the process to reach a resolution.

“Welcoming global superstars, like Beyoncé, will attract thousands of music fans and benefits our local businesses,” said Carlin.

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Horan, Horvath and Richards attend NFL game in London with cast of ‘Ted Lasso’

Football is life!

A trio of American soccer stars were in London over the weekend to watch the Vikings face the Saints in an NFL game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

USWNT star midfielder Lindsey Horan was joined by USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner and defender Chris Richards alongside the cast of Apple’s popular Ted Lasso show.

Horan’s French club team, Lyon, is just a two-hour flight from London, and she’s in town this week for the USWNT’s upcoming friendly against England at Wembley Stadium.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjNwjg2ssv6/?hl=en

Turner and Richards didn’t have to travel far for the game as they play for London-based clubs Arsenal and Crystal Palace, respectively.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjOaHerMPpa/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjOHVf6qgQV/?hl=en

Christian Pulisic, who plays for nearby Chelsea, attended a game featuring his Jets in London last year. The Jets won’t to return to England this year, but the NFL has two more London games on deck later this season.

Horan played 19 minutes off the bench in Lyon’s 2-0 win over Rodez Aveyron on Saturday. Turner is coming off an impressive performance with the USMNT and he’s expected to play in cup games with Arsenal this fall. Richards is still working his way back into Crystal Palace’s squad after leaving USMNT camp with a “minor injury” last month.

The Vikings defeated the Saints 28-25 on Sunday.

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Puma’s new World Cup away kits did not go down well

The box theme did not appear to be a winner for the kit manufacturer

Puma dropped its 2022 collection of international away kits on Monday, and the backlash was swift and merciless.

The manufacturer released 13 away kits in total, including six from countries that will compete at the 2022 World Cup: Switzerland, Uruguay, Senegal, Serbia, Ghana and Morocco.

Puma’s usage of a template across most of the kits struck a nerve with several observers, with a centralized box for a player’s number visible across almost all of the designs.

Also at issue: 10 of the 13 kits are white, with Senegal, Ghana and Paraguay the three countries that will feature non-white away kits.

Here is a sampling of the reaction across Twitter after Puma released its 2022 away kits.

El Tri’s Memo Ochoa looks like an NFL kicker nailing field goals

Memo Ochoa makes kicking a 55-yard field goal look easy!

Soccer and American football don’t have much in common, but it appears that goal kicks translate well to kicking field goals.

Club América is in Texas this week preparing for Wednesday night’s friendly against Manchester United at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans.

The NFL team opened up their training facility to América and goalkeeper Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa took advantage of the opportunity to kick on an American football field. With help from former Texans punter/holder Shane Lechler, El Tri’s goalie nailed field goal attempts from 30, 35, 40, 50 and 55 yards.

“I’m switching my sport,” Ochoa joked after making a 50-yarder.

Ochoa had the leg strength for 60 yards but he hooked his first attempt wide left and then hit the crossbar on his second attempt. The Texans shared footage from the impressive kicks on their social media channels.

Granted, Ochoa’s not facing a rush or the pressure of a game being on the line, but it’s clear that he has the leg strength to kick on the gridiron.

Ochoa’s 37 years old now so it’s a little late for a career change, but there’s plenty of precedent for soccer players reaching the NFL. American football kickers actually began adopting a soccer-style approach for field goals in the 1960s after previously using a straight-on approach for field goal attempts.

Toni Fritsch was perhaps the most notable soccer-to-kicker success story. Fritsch won three Austrian league titles with Rapid Wien from 1963-1971, scoring 15 times as a striker, and he earned nine caps with Austria’s national team. He then went on to have an accomplished 14-year career in the United States playing American football, winning a Super Bowl with the Cowboys in 1972.

More recently, Josh Lambo was part of U.S. Soccer’s residency program in Bradenton, Florida in 2005 before later being picked by FC Dallas eighth overall in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. After his soccer career stalled, Lambo went on to have a six-year career as a kicker in the NFL from 2015-2021.

American football has also seen kickers switch to soccer.

Tanner Tessmann committed to Clemson in 2019 planning to play both football and soccer in college, but his plans changed when he got an opportunity to sign with FC Dallas in 2020. Tessmann stuck with soccer and he’s now playing for Serie B’s Venezia in Italy.

So while soccer and American football don’t have much in common, it’s clear that kicking translates well between the two sports.

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David Beckham documentary coming soon to Netflix

Becks has his own The Last Dance in mind

People like looking at David Beckham, and Netflix seems to have taken notice.

The streaming service says that a documentary series about Beckham’s life is in production, with Fisher Stevens (who produced Tiger King and 2009 Oscar-winning documentary The cove) directing the project, which will be produced by Beckham’s Studio 99 content studio.

Beckham said last year that he was inspired by The Last Dance, an ESPN docuseries on the life and career of Michael Jordan that—like this Beckham project—saw the basketball legend heavily involved in the story that was being told.

As Jordan did for The Last Dance, Beckham says he will open up his own personal archives, showing some footage for the first time ever and bringing friends, former teammates, and family in for interviews.

Netflix has not announced when the series will arrive, or even what its name is at this point, but the streaming platform will be hoping for success in line with shows like Formula 1: Drive to Survive and Sunderland ‘Til I Die.

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