The upcoming leg of the “Hell Is Real” derby between F.C. Cincinnati and Columbus Crew will feature two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference facing off–But this time the tables are turned.
During MLS play, Columbus has won five of the 10 meetings. Only one derby contest has been won by Cincinnati in addition to their lone U.S. Open Cup clash.
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But in 2023, Cincy is the favorite. Cincinnati is pacing the Eastern Conference, holding down first-place having won seven-straight outings at home. Meanwhile, Columbus enters the weekend in fifth place, nine points behind Cincy.
However, the Crew will carry some momentum down to the Ohio River basin. Columbus snapped a four-game losing skid on Wednesday against L.A. Galaxy in 2-0 fashion. Is the Crew back on track enough to knock off their rival?
Ahead of the pivotal matchup for both teams, here is everything you need to know to stream the action:
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Through the new Apple media rights deal, most of the league’s games take place simultaneously
One of the major talking points in the early part of the 2023 MLS campaign has been the consistent Saturday 7:30 p.m. local kickoff times across the league.
The buffet of MLS matches played at the same time every week has garnered varying reactions from coaches, players, and fans.
On one hand, games are easy to plan around. Fans who don’t want to miss a goal have the option to watch the MLS 360 whip-around show on Apple TV. Supporters that want to go to an MLS match can also plan accordingly each week, allowing them to get in a routine.
But having 7:30 on Saturday night locked in as the prime kickoff time makes it challenging to watch multiple matches on any given weekend. Having matches spread throughout the day on Saturday and scheduling more on Sunday, as they were in past years, reduces the pile-up.
Why did the league choose to stack so many games at the same time? MLS executive vice president of media Seth Bacon says it was the product of plenty of research.
“We have years of fan, ticketing, and viewership data that we analyzed internally and with our clubs and media partners to identify the right window for our matches,” Bacon told Pro Soccer Wire. “We know that Saturday nights can deliver an outstanding environment for fans — in stadium and via our live match coverage.”
Vancouver Whitecaps and U.S. national team midfielder Julian Gressel appreciates the new schedule’s consistency, but admitted that he missed having the chance to see more MLS games.
“It gives you consistency week in and week out,” Gressel said. “But I kind of miss the Sunday afternoon MLS game. Maybe the off-time ones where you can kind of watch, you get more soccer at more times. Especially us playing at 7:30 in the Pacific. We don’t really get to watch much of MLS before [games]. As a player, as a fan, I feel it would be cool to have time slots here and there thrown into the mix.”
It’s not just about the kickoff times for home matches. West coast teams like Vancouver have a hectic travel schedule that plays a part in how they prepare for road matches.
On early-season trips to Minnesota and Texas where kickoff was 7:30 pm local time, the Whitecaps returned home to Vancouver in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“I think a few of us would prefer to play some earlier games,” Whitecaps midfielder Ryan Gauld told Pro Soccer Wire. “But that’s the schedule we’ve been given. It’s a little bit tougher when we play on the road because we don’t get back until like 3 a.m. It is what it is, and we’ve just got to deal with it.”
While an early kickoff time would help with travel back to Vancouver, there would also be a downside: The Whitecaps would potentially end up traveling to their destination a day earlier. Instead of flying on a Friday afternoon, travel would take place on a Thursday.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC head coach Vanni Sartini stands prior to the start of the game as the Vancouver Whitecaps FC host the Portland Timbers at BC Place. Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Having more Sunday matches would allow players and coaches who were part of a match on the previous night an opportunity to watch a live game. That might not be possible on a matchday, when teams are preparing for their own match or traveling home.
“I would love for a fan of MLS to have more games at different times,” Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini said. “Instead of watching only one game in the west, you can watch three or four games. I really like that the LA game (El Tráfico) was on Sunday at 1 p.m. If not, it would have been impossible for me to watch it.”
The 7:30 kickoffs may also be challenging for fans with families, according to the president of the largest Whitecaps supporters group.
“It is very important to make the schedule accessible for all fans and supporters,” Vancouver Southsiders President Peter Czimmermann said in a statement to Pro Soccer Wire. “Being able to bring your kids of all ages to the match is just as important as being able to get home after the matches whether you live in the Lower Mainland or on Vancouver as a ‘Caps fan.”
All but two of the Whitecaps MLS home games will start at 7:30 p.m. this season.
Late games also mean more time for players to wait leading up to the matches, but not every player minds the extra free time.
“I do know a couple of guys who have been complaining about it just because it’s so late in the day. You kind of have to wait around in your house and do whatever for a long period of time, but personally I don’t mind it,” Whitecaps defender Tristan Blackmon told Pro Soccer Wire.
Do MLS and Apple have any plans for a greater variety of kickoff times and matchdays next season?
“We love our new Saturday night window and the consistency of matches and clarity of communication to fans,” Bacon said. “That said, we constantly analyze our schedule to make sure we are optimized on all levels.”
How to watch the California clash between the #LAGalaxy & the #Earthquakes.
The California Clasico is coming to Major League Soccer this weekend.
On Sunday, the San Jose Earthquakes head down to face the Los Angeles Galaxy for a 6:30 p.m. PT (9:30 p.m. ET) MLS kickoff.
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Surprisingly out of form, the Galaxy are looking to crawl out of the basement of the Western Conference as they sit in 13th place with just six points. But L.A. is fresh off a 3-1 win over the Seattle Sounders in a midweek cup clash.
On the flip side, San Jose is the their best form at this point of the season with 18 points, good for a fourth-place position. The Earthquakes’ attacking approach is fun, but they’ve allowed 14 goals (11 on the road), which is the most of any team in the top seven.
Ahead of a pivotal matchup for both teams, here is everything you need to know to stream the action:
L.A. Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes
When: Sunday, May 14
Time: 6:30 p.m. PT
Location: Dignity Health Sports Park (Los Angeles)
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Major League Soccer Odds and betting lines
Premier League odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook. Odds were last updated Friday at 4:00 p.m. ET.
L.A. Galaxy (-125) vs. San Jose Earthquakes (+280)
Draw: (+260)
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Ted Lasso’s Trent Crimm and Colin Hughes had a powerful conversation at the Homomonument in Amsterdam.
Warning: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED EPISODE 6 OF TED LASSO SEASON 3.
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Welcome back to Ted Lasso on For The Win!Each week of the 12-episode season, we will chat about the latest episode in the Ted Lasso universe. Let’s dig into it.
Some Ted Lasso fans were initially concerned that journalist Trent Crimm would “out” AFC Richmond wing Colin Hughes after initially discovering his sexuality earlier this season. It took a few episodes, but we finally got our answer.
Colin (portrayed by Billy Harris, who made his TV debut with this show) was also skeptical when he discovered that Trent (played by James Lance) was at the gay bar that the Richmond footballer snuck out to attend. But he eventually realized that the writer is approaching this conversation with good faith.
It was an important conversation for Colin and Trent, who was potentially the first person in sports he had ever spoken to about his sexuality.
— elena | ted lasso spoilers (@sudeiking) April 19, 2023
Trent and Colin eventually made their way to the Homomonument, a memorial in Amsterdam that commemorates all LGBTQ+ individuals who lost their lives in World War II and who have been persecuted due to their sexual orientation.
Trent, who revealed that he is also gay and has the support of his family, gave Colin an opportunity to share his truth.
They spoke about the ache — such a powerful word — that they have each felt. Trent, formerly of The Independent and now independently writing a book about Richmond much like Grant Wahl did with the L.A. Galaxy, did not take out his microphone or his notebook. He just listened.
The writer allowed Colin to feel comfortable enough to open up and share details about his experience as a privately gay athlete playing at the highest levels in the English Premier League.
I could talk about the beauty & significance of this scene for DAYS. Living a double life… it feels safe, like you’re protecting the parts of yourself you know are still so raw, but it’s so painfully lonely.
— alyssa ⭐️ (spoilers, babes) (@theolasso) April 19, 2023
Trent shared that it was “really difficult” for him to hold on to his secret.
“I’m not a professional athlete,” Trent said. “How do you do it?”
Colin detailed how he essentially has to live two lives — one is his work life, where he has kept his sexuality a secret, and one is his dating life. He explained that his work in therapy with Dr. Sharon helped him realize how much this divide has hurt him. Why can’t they be the same life?
“I don’t want to be a spokesperson. I don’t want a bunch of apologies. All I want is for when we win a match to be able to kiss my fella the same way that guys get to kiss their girls,” Colin said. “I know we can’t fix every ache inside of us. But I shouldn’t have to pretend it’s not there, either.”
“Some athletes don’t want their being gay or bi to be part of how they’re most-known. For that reason, some of these men will choose to keep that part of their life private… which delays when they won’t feel they have to anymore.”
The catharsis and euphoria that these two individuals share when they’ve landed on the same page and can just be themselves is so powerful — and looks so fun.
It is wonderful to see that type of male friendship depicted on TV, no matter the context. But the gay male friendship in the world of sports on a show as big as Ted Lasso was even more powerful.
I’m a professional sportswriter. One of my goals in my career is to earn the trust of the subjects that I’m writing about. This episode nailed that.
But to accomplish this is not easy and requires a certain level of empathy, catching someone at the right time, and presenting yourself as someone who is willing and able to connect on a human-to-human level. It is an incredibly delicate balance and candidly, it does not always work.
It was so moving to watch how well Trent Crimm accomplished all of that (and more) during his heart-to-heart conversation with Colin Hughes.
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Warning: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED EPISODE 4 OF TED LASSO SEASON 3.
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Welcome to our Ted Lasso Power Rankings!Each week of the 12-episode season, For The Win will chat about the latest episode to see who is thriving and who is straight up not having a good time in the Ted Lasso universe. Let’s dig into it.
“It ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe.”
Those were the Bob Dylan lyrics that fans heard during the end credits as the latest episode of Ted Lasso paid tribute to the late journalist Grant Wahl. It is a perfectly fitting way to memorialize Wahl, whose unexpected death in December shook the sports world.
But it wasn’t actually just a tribute during the end credits. In fact, midway through the episode, there is actually an Easter egg that you may have missed if you weren’t watching closely.
Coach Beard was holding a copy of Wahl’s book. Here is how it looked:
Apple TV+
Beyond his contributions to the game of soccer, Wahl was actually directly affiliated with this show. Hunt says that the writer’s room reached out to Wahl to ask about his book The Beckham Experiment.
They hoped to hear what it was like for Wahl to write a book while embedded within a team with a new superstar on the roster so that they could apply it to their characters Trent Crimm and Zava (via Rich Eisen Show):
“Grant Wahl came back with paragraphs of answers within two days. He was incredibly generous with his experiences and it was really, really great and pretty helpful. We have a little nod to him coming up in this next episode. This was when he was still with us. We did not know what was going to come to pass.”
Wahl later visited the Ted Lasso set in England and wrote about the experience on his Substack.
“The show brought a lightness that I didn’t realize how much I needed. It was a little like the effect the show itself had on me when I started watching during the pandemic.”
The show continues to bring light to Wahl’s loved ones. Wahl’s wife, Dr. Céline Gounder, tweeted that the tributes in this episode “means so much” to her and her family.
This new striker looks a whole lot like Zlatan Ibrahimović.
Warning: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED EPISODE 2 OF TED LASSO SEASON 3.
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Welcome to our Ted Lasso Power Rankings!Each week of the 12-episode season, For The Win will chat about the latest episode to see how everyone in the Ted Lasso universe is doing. Let’s dig into it.
AFC Richmond was down in the dumps during the premiere of Season 3.
But things started looking up during “(I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea” and suddenly, this club could actually be a real contender in the English Premier League.
Although this season is clearly building up to a match against the Nathan Shelley-led rival West Ham United, the second episode of the season featured a big match against Chelsea FC.
Dan Lanning is worried about his football team and how they can get better, not ongoing Pac-12 media negotiations.
A Division-I head football coach has a million things to think about as spring practices get underway. Things like how the new assistants will fit in or where and when to run a certain drill or how some players are progressing.
So while Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff works overtime trying to negotiate the best deal for the conference — one that will appease all members and bring in enough cash to the remaining 10 schools out west while also identifying a large enough television partner that will ensure the conference is well represented on Saturdays in the fall — it’s not a major concern for the head coach in Eugene.
“I’m concerned about coaching the football team,” Lanning said. “Oregon’s obviously a great product. I think you look at this conference you see a lot of great football teams right now playing at an elite level,” he said. “I’m excited to go play this year’s games. I’m really not worried about the next piece. That’s not my job.”
No matter which network decides to shell out millions of dollars for the rights to the Pac-12 content, Oregon is sure to be a big piece of that puzzle, especially with USC and UCLA out of the picture.
After we leaned into the first season’s feel-good optimism and powerful storytelling, we were tested again in Season 2 when the writers made the necessary (and somewhat risky) room for growth with heartbreaking storylines, a deeper look at Ted’s mental health struggles and a finale that left us slack-jawed and desperate for answers we wouldn’t get for nearly two years.
As Lasso fans gear up for Wednesday’s premiere of the show’s third and final-for-now season on Apple TV+, it also might be the biggest test to date for all involved. It’s time to land the plane, and with a show this popular and beloved, everyone’s got an opinion on how to do it. Because the show’s creators knew how the story would end long before it began, the question isn’t whether they’ll effectively wrap the story they wanted to tell. It’s whether the show’s passionate and fiercely protective fans will trust them to do it, even if they don’t always understand the process.
Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard) and Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso), the show’s stars and co-creators
There are series that go on for years that don’t deliver as much story and character development as Ted Lasso’s award-winning writers have packed into 22 episodes — and certainly very few that manage to build a culture of audience loyalty that resembles the depths of sports fandom rather than people united by their love of a TV show. In just two seasons, the show has inspired a slew of popular fan podcasts and blogs devoted to analyzing each episode and predicting what might come next, not to mention a thriving market for independent artists to sell everything from character illustrations to laptop stickers and even ornately designed holiday ornaments (it was a gift; leave me alone).
It’s not hard to see why Lasso fans are so personally invested. When the show premiered in August 2020, it met us where we were during a time of collective isolation and fear. Confined to our homes and doing all we could to distract ourselves from reality, binge-watching anything streamable was no longer a guilty pleasure — it was how we coped with uncertainty. Then came Ted Lasso, a show that preached kindness, forgiveness and hope, all things severely lacking back then, and those who were tuning in week after week couldn’t stop talking about it. By the end of the first season, we weren’t just rooting for Ted’s character. We were rooting for the show.
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Word-of-mouth popularity spiked leading up to season 2 and expectations were high for the show’s creators to deliver the same warm-blanket comfort as the season before. Ultimately they did, but not without doing the messy work of exploring the internal battles of the show’s key characters and reinforcing how hard it is to truly know people when they’re shaped by so many things we can’t see.
Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent) and Phil Dunster (Jamie Tartt)
Stories alone can’t heal you, but they can show you what healing looks like. And great stories don’t skip over the work. There are no trophies for forgiving your parents. No gold stars for learning how to be vulnerable with the people you love. Sometimes healing is just waking up every day and choosing the work.
This is part of the reason why some felt Season 2 was a departure from what they wanted the show to be: Something that made us feel good and believe in the goodness of others. Simple. Black and white. No trap doors (and for the love of god, no holiday episodes!). But the gray areas are where this show lives and where it sings, especially when it comes to Ted. Yes, it was difficult to watch him use his relentless optimism as a way to smother his unhealed pain. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t genuine or that we bought into a misleading character. It just meant he was human.
Sarah Niles (Dr. Sharon Fieldstone) and Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)
Resolution will look like a lot of different things to Lasso fans. Many want Ted to find love again, whether with Sassy, Rebecca or someone else, after watching him navigate a painful divorce for two years. Others want the classic sports-movie ending he promised in the first season by winning the Premier League against all odds and proving he doesn’t have to know the sport to be an effective coach.
There are several possibilities, none of them mutually exclusive, but one thing has been certain from the beginning: There was never going to be a reality where Ted stayed anywhere for very long while his son lived on another continent. His reason for moving to Richmond was to save his marriage by giving his wife a literal ocean of space. His marriage might be over, but he’s still Henry’s father and he’s ready to go home. Whatever that means. Whatever it takes.
It’s hard to see how that might play out, especially given his promise to Rebecca to come back this year and “win the whole (expletive thing).” But after watching the first few episodes of Season 3, I’ll say this: We probably shouldn’t ignore how the show makes masterful use of its first and last close-ups of each season. The pilot’s first close-up was Rebecca in her office, angry and vengeful and ready to use Ted in her plan to destroy AFC Richmond. Rebecca was also the final shot of the season, evolved and forgiving (and covered in Pellegrino), as she entrusted Ted to rescue the club from relegation.
Then there was the first shot of Season 2, a close-up of Nate standing with Ted and Coach Beard as AFC Richmond’s new assistant coach. Admittedly, the choice to open with a shot of who was then a relatively minor character seemed confusing. It only made sense by the time we got to the last shot of the second season’s finale: Another close-up of Nate at work, this time standing alone as the new head coach of West Ham United, all but consumed by insecurity and revenge.
The first shot of Season 3 is the first time the show opens with its title character as we see Ted, zoned out and a bit heartbroken, sitting at the airport with Henry after spending six weeks together in Richmond. It’s clear Ted’s sadness about sending his son back to Kansas is bigger than the moment itself, which ultimately sets the stage for Ted to reassess his reasons for being in Richmond, and more importantly, his reasons for not being with Henry.
The final shot of Season 3 is anyone’s guess, but if the pattern holds we can only hope that wherever we find Ted at the end of his journey, it’s somewhere that looks like home.
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Many are laughing at the #Pac12 because it seems clear George Kliavkoff won’t get top dollar. How Apple fits this picture is uncertain.
You have heard the rumors and speculation earlier this week: Apple TV and the Pac-12 could potentially strike a deal. We don’t know. It’s not a foregone conclusion or a formality at this point. Everything is still quite uncertain.
The talk is impossible to avoid, however, and it isn’t very reassuring for Pac-12 schools who are worrying that a future media rights package will amount to bread crumbs.
“The heat is on for the Pac-12,” Patrick Conn wrote. “Currently, the Big 12 has been reported as interested in the four corner schools. Would landing Apple keep Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah from joining? That remains to be seen and it is unlikely that an all-streaming service would keep everyone happy.
“The longer that the Pac-12 goes without a long-term deal, the more likely that we could see schools entertain other conferences.”
The Big 12 would be that conference. The Big Ten seems happy with its 16-member arrangement, including USC and UCLA in 2024.
Stay tuned for the next plot point in this ongoing drama.
One report states that Apple TV+ is the favorite to land the media rights to Pac-12 football. But is it enough?
The Pac-12’s current TV deal with ESPN and Fox Sports is set to expire following the 2023 season. So where does commissioner George Kliavkoff turn to next?
According to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, Apple TV+ could end up as the new landing spot for the Pac-12’s college football rights. Apple TV recently landed a deal with the MLS, and perhaps they want to sink their teeth in college football.
The ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, and SEC all have long-term deals. The last remaining conference without a long-term deal might need to pull a rabbit out of their hats to keep their 10 remaining schools happy.
Per Marchand:
With ESPN, Amazon Prime Video and Fox Sports lukewarm on the league, Apple could end up being the platform for the Pac-12, according to sources.
Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff could present Apple as a possibility to his schools soon, according to sources. If the universities will be interested in a potential all-streaming deal and if the terms will end up being good enough to prevent schools departing to other conferences are yet to be determined.
The heat is on for the Pac-12. Currently, the Big 12 has been reported as interested in the four corner schools. Would landing Apple keep Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah from joining? That remains to be seen and it is unlikely that an all-streaming service would keep everyone happy.
The longer that the Pac-12 goes without a long-term deal, the more likely that we could see schools entertain other conferences.
