Tag: championship

Tyrann Mathieu’s final goal? ‘Help my hometown win a Super Bowl’

Tyrann Mathieu was a teenager living in New Orleans when the Saints won their first Super Bowl. His goal is giving the city another championship:

When you’ve achieved as much as New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu, the question of “What else?” is common. What else are you playing for? What else do you want to achieve?

Mathieu told ESPN’s Elle Duncan that he is competing for the chance of bringing the Saints their second Super Bowl ring. Winning another championship is the response you expect, but it means more in Mathieu’s situation. He sees this as a “great opportunity to come back home and try to help my hometown win a Super Bowl.”

Mathieu reflected on seeing Drew Brees bring the Saints their first championship in 2009. You don’t have to tell Mathieu how big that moment was for the city. He lived it. He was 17 years old and still living in New Orleans at the moment. He wants to deliver that kind of moment to the city again, except this time he’ll be a part of the team.

Mathieu says this is the “only goal he has left outside of continuing to inspire his teammates.”

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Amid transfer interest, USMNT’s Sargent off the mark for Norwich City

Sargent showed why Norwich City is reportedly placing a $25 million valuation with his first goal of the Championship season

Josh Sargent isn’t letting the transfer rumors swirling around him distract from his job at Norwich City.

The U.S. men’s national team forward scored his first goal of the 2024-25 season, offering up a powerful finish in what became a 2-2 Championship draw with Blackburn.

Sargent also provided an assist as the Canaries took a second-half lead through Borja Sainz, but Norwich had to settle for a point after Yuki Ohashi’s late equalizer for the visitors.

With his side trailing 1-0 in the 65th minute, Sargent made his mark. Defender Callum Doyle’s clever pass found the USMNT man in a seam in Blackburn’s defense, but Sargent still had plenty to do.

Facing a somewhat tricky angle, Sargent could have cut the ball back, or tried to round his man to get to the endline for a cross. Instead, the 24-year-old called his own number, smashing a left-footed rocket past goalkeeper Aynsley Pears.

Sargent would do much of the heavy lifting as Norwich took the lead eight minutes later. The Missouri native won the ball at midfield, pushed into the Blackburn half, instigated a one-two to break through the visitors’ back line, and zipped a low cross in for Sainz to finish on the doorstep.

The good second half made up for a first half in which Sargent, by his own coach’s account, should have had a hat trick. However, Norwich boss Johannes Hoff Thorup praised Sargent for brushing off the misses and getting the job done.

“We made some adjustments at halftime and came out way stronger in the second,” said Hoff Thorup. “Imagine [Sargent] going in at half-time knowing he could have scored a hat-trick? But he kept on going and showed the right attitude.”

Sargent will be hoping he can be just as prolific this season as he was last year. Despite missing a long spell due to ankle surgery, Sargent scored 16 times in 26 league appearances for the Canaries, at one point scoring 11 goals over a 14-game span.

That good form sparked some significant transfer interest in Sargent. GiveMeSport reported that FC Cincinnati offered as much as $20 million to bring the USMNT forward to MLS, only for Norwich to insist on a valuation over $25 million. Earlier this week, The Athletic reported that St. Louis City is also interested in Sargent’s signature.

Watch Sargent score his first goal of the season

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Luton goalkeeper Kaminski shown red card for rare on-field double murder

The referee had many options as to how he would send the goalkeeper off

It’s only week two, but Luton Town goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski has already submitted his entry for the season’s best red card.

Kaminski was already on a yellow card for time-wasting when he made doubly sure that he would be sent off after a wild pair of challenges in Saturday’s Championship match.

The keeper came flying off his line to cut off a long ball in the 31st minute, only to clatter into Portsmouth’s Paddy Lane instead.

Not content with that challenge, Kaminski quickly got to his feet and demolished Portsmouth defender Connor Ogilvie seconds later.

The referee was left with a multitude of options for how he would send Kaminski off: one yellow? Double yellow to make it a total of three? Straight red? Double straight red?

In the end, he would go with the conservative option and simply hand Kaminski his second yellow.

Forced to play down a man for two-thirds of the game, Luton responded admirably and held on for a 0-0 draw.

Watch Kaminski red card vs. Portsmouth

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Boro coach Carrick hails ‘fantastic’ Morris after strong start

The USMNT midfielder is making quite the impression early in his time at Middlesbrough

Aidan Morris is making quite the impression early in his time at Middlesbrough.

The midfielder joined Boro from the Columbus Crew in June, with the Championship side shelling out a reported $4 million.

Morris has been thrown into the fire in his first foray into Europe, playing the full match in both of Boro’s opening games of the campaign.

The 22-year-old has responded well to the challenge, as he was named man of the match in a 1-0 league win over Swansea over the weekend, before turning in another strong display in Wednesday’s 3-0 win at Leeds in the Carabao Cup.

After the game against Leeds, head coach Michael Carrick spoke glowingly of Morris and fellow summer signing Delano Burgzorg.

Carrick said: “It (making early signings) certainly helps, and credit to everyone for that – the backroom staff, in terms of recruitment, and having good ideas, and having a plan and sticking to it.

“We’re all in it together. We’ve spoken about the value of getting the two lads in early, and it is the truth.

“We’ve seen the benefits of that, and we’re feeling those benefits. I thought the two boys in particular were fantastic tonight, in different ways, and you can see how well they’ve settled in.”

Next up for Boro is a trip to face Derby County in a Championship encounter on Saturday.

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USMNT’s Aaronson scores equalizer at the death on Leeds return

It was a good afternoon for the USMNT attacker, but it could have been great

Brenden Aaronson returned to Leeds with a bang on Saturday — but the U.S international missed the chance to make it a truly special afternoon at Elland Road.

Aaronson scored a stoppage-time equalizer for Leeds against Portsmouth, netting in the 95th minute after coming on in the second half of his side’s Championship opener.

But just two minutes later, Aaronson missed the chance to complete his brace and seal a Leeds win by firing wide when in alone on goal.

Aaronson is back at Leeds after spending last season on loan with Union Berlin in the Bundesliga.

The 23-year-old had a difficult debut campaign at Elland Road in 2022-23, fading in the second half of the season as the club was relegated from the Premier League.

On Saturday, it looked like Leeds would suffer a demoralizing home loss to kick off the season after Callum Lang’s 93rd-minute penalty put Portsmouth ahead.

But Aaronson responded minutes later, carving out space for himself inside the box before firing home into the bottom corner.

Watch Aaronson’s goal vs. Portsmouth

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ESPN updates Wisconsin football odds of winning 2024 Big Ten championship

ESPN updates Wisconsin football odds of winning 2024 Big Ten championship

The college football season does not feel near until the release of Bill Connelly‘s comprehensive conference preview series.

That series has been rolling out over the last few weeks. But the season now feels right around the corner after the release of his preview of the new-look Big Ten Conference.

Related: Reasons why Wisconsin football will or won’t make College Football Playoff in 2024

That new-look conference includes newcomers Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC. Their arrival coincides with the conference eliminating its East-West Division model and introducing a new pool play format.

The 2024 Big Ten landscape will look and feel different than it has in any previous year. That inarguably makes it more difficult to project. Classic contenders including Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan will still all play big roles. But questions surround what the former Pac-12 powers can do upon their respective arrivals, and where the movement leaves programs like Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska.

Connelly’s Big Ten preview takes a shot at projecting the first year of the new-look conference. His recap of ESPN’s updated conference title odds gives Wisconsin just a 1.2% chance of winning it.

The leaders, to no surprise, are Ohio State at 30.9%, Oregon at 26.1%, Penn State at 17.8% and Michigan at 17%. Then there is a substantial dropoff before Iowa at 2%, USC at 1.8% and Wisconsin.

The Badgers’ low title odds are thanks to the elimination of the Big Ten West and a gauntlet schedule in the first year of the new format. Wisconsin will need to go 8-1 or 7-2 against a Big Ten schedule that includes games against Oregon, Penn State, USC, Nebraska and Iowa. It’s a tall ask given the current caliber of those top teams.

Wisconsin fans will likely look for areas of improvement in year two under Luke Fickell. The Badgers went 7-6 in 2023 in his first season in charge. Material improvements are needed to have the program pointing in the right direction moving forward.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

More 2024 Big Ten preview work:

Team Previews: Indiana Hoosiers — Purdue Boilermakers — Illinois Fighting Illini — Northwestern Wildcats — Minnesota Golden Gophers — Nebraska Cornhuskers — Iowa Hawkeyes — Rutgers Scarlet Knights — Maryland Terrapins

Position Previews: Quarterbacks — Running Backs — Wide Receivers — Offensive Lines — Tight Ends — Defensive Line — Linebackers — Cornerbacks

USMNT midfielder Morris joins Middlesbrough from Columbus

The 22-year-old midfielder has made the jump to Europe

Middlesbrough has confirmed the signing of Aidan Morris on a transfer from the Columbus Crew.

The 22-year-old midfielder joins the Championship side in a reported $4 million move, and has signed a four-year contract.

Morris has become one of the highest-rated midfield prospects in MLS in recent years, having made over 100 appearances for the Crew and won two MLS Cups despite his young age.

A fixture with U.S. youth national teams, Morris made his senior USMNT debut in January 2023 and has earned five caps thus far.

“He suits our style of play, he’s strong, he likes to get on the ball, and he plays off both feet,” said Boro head coach Michael Carrick.

“He’s a good age, but he’s already had a taste of success and he has a good amount of experience. We’re excited to work with him.”

Morris was called into the most recent U.S. pre-Olympic training camp, and looks to be a solid bet to compete in the games in France next month.

“Watching Aidan’s growth as a player and person during his time at the Crew has been a true privilege, and we greatly appreciate his dedication to the club and our city,” said Crew general manager Issa Tall.

“Aidan has always been focused on learning and improving, and he’s an exceptional role model for our academy players. We are proud of what Aidan accomplished individually and with our club as he made a significant impact in the Crew’s history. He always aspired to play in Europe and earned the opportunity, and we look forward to him further displaying his form and character as he joins Middlesbrough.”

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Leeds United vs. Southampton: How to watch EFL Championship playoff final, live stream

The world’s most lucrative match is set for Wembley on Sunday, with a spot in the Premier League on the line

Leeds United and Southampton will take the pitch at Wembley in the EFL Championship promotion playoff final on Sunday.

The winner will claim a place in the Premier League for 2024-25, making this one-off clash a massive game in terms of both prestige for players, and revenue for clubs.

Leeds, buoyed by Crysencio Summerville’s 19 goals, will be looking to bounce straight back up after being relegated at the end of the 2022-23 season. The Whites had spent three seasons in the top flight, and during a 15-game unbeaten that ran from January to April looked at one point like a candidate to finish atop the Championship table.

However, a poor end to the season — including a 2-1 home loss to Southampton — sent Daniel Farke’s side into the playoff places. However, a 4-0 aggregate win over Norwich City in the semifinals may have helped stabilize Leeds just in time.

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Like Leeds, Southampton wants back into the Premier League after one season in the second tier. The Saints recovered from a poor start to the season that at one point included four straight losses to spend much of the last six months in the top four.

A combined 37 goals between forwards Adam Armstrong and Ché Adams has paced Russell Martin’s side, who are intent on returning to the top flight after its prior stay lasted 12 years.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Leeds United vs. Southampton (EFL Championship playoff final)

  • When: Saturday, May 26
  • Where: Wembley Stadium (London)
  • Time: 10 a.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: ESPN+ (WATCH LIVE).

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USMNT forward Sargent in doubt for Copa America as ankle injury returns

The forward has been dealing with ankle issues for most of the season

Josh Sargent’s troublesome ankle injury could keep the U.S. men’s national team striker out of the Copa América.

Sargent was withdrawn at halftime on Thursday, as Norwich City fell 4-0 to Leeds in the second leg of a Championship playoff semifinal.

The striker was also forced off late in the first leg as he continues to battle a lingering injury from earlier in the season.

Sargent broke his ankle early in the season and was forced to miss four months after surgery. The 24-year-old managed to put together a prolific campaign after returning, scoring 16 goals, but periodically battled recurring ankle soreness.

Following Thursday’s game, Norwich head coach David Wagner admitted that the striker was a doubt for the USMNT this summer.

“We have managed him more or less the whole time since he got back from his injury. I think everyone knows this. It is great credit to Josh with what he has done and how hard he has worked,” Wagner said.

“What this means now for the summer? At the minute I have no idea. There is going to be for sure some thorough investigations and assessment of him, to see how serious it is and what he has to do to come back to his best in pre-season.”

Sargent was called in for the Nations League finals in March, but was forced to withdraw from the U.S. roster due to his ankle injury.

The USMNT will kick off the Copa América on June 23 against Bolivia.

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Leeds vs. Norwich City: How to watch Championship playoffs, live stream

A spot in the playoff final is on the line at Elland Road

Leeds and Norwich City will face off at Elland Road on Thursday in the second leg of their Championship playoff semifinal.

The two teams played out a scoreless draw over the weekend at Carrow Road, so it’s all to play for in leg two at Leeds’ home ground.

Leeds, which finished third in the table, will fancy its chances against the sixth-place Canaries, who will look to pose a threat on the counter in the return leg.

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Norwich will be sweating on the fitness of star forward Josh Sargent, who suffered a recurrence of his ankle injury in Sunday’s first leg and will be questionable for the second leg.

Leeds is aiming to bounce straight back to the Premier League after last season’s relegation, while Norwich is looking to return after its relegation in 2021-22.

The winner of this tie will face either Southampton or West Brom on May 26 at Wembley with a spot in the Premier League on the line.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Leeds vs. Norwich City (Championship playoffs)

  • When: Thursday, May 16
  • Where: Elland Road (Leeds)
  • Time: 3 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: ESPN+ (WATCH NOW)

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