The USMNT forward continued his incredible campaign with a goal vs. Plymouth
Josh Sargent’s incredible season continued on Friday, as the Norwich City striker fired home another goal in his side’s 2-1 comeback win over Plymouth.
Sargent scored his 14th goal of the campaign midway through the second half, equalizing the match off a well-worked routine from a corner kick. Seven minutes later, the Canaries took the lead for good thanks to a Plymouth own goal.
With the win, Norwich made it seven straight victories at home and maintained its spot in the sixth and final playoff position in the Championship table.
Sargent’s 14-goal haul is made even more impressive by the fact he missed four months of the season with an ankle injury. Despite all that time on the sideline, only five players in the Championship have more goals this season than the Missouri native.
After receiving his first call-up since the 2022 World Cup, Sargent was forced off the U.S. men’s national team roster this month with an ankle injury.
The 24-year-old didn’t end up missing any club matches, however, as he was able to return in Norwich’s first game following the international break.
Meanwhile, Sargent’s replacement on the USMNT roster, Haji Wright, also found the net on Friday, as the Coventry City striker scored his 14th of the season in his side’s 3-1 win over Huddersfield.
After 19 ejections, a near 29-point comeback, and a holding call on a two-point conversion attempt, Higley High School held the Arizona state championship trophy.
Higley High School (Gilbert, Ariz.) ran onto the field in jubilation and celebration as they successfully prevented a two-point conversion without any time on the clock to take down Desert Edge (Goodyear, Ariz.) 42-41 in a battle for the ages for the Arizona Interscholastic Association 5A championship.
The game featured 19 ejections, a near-30-point comeback, and a controversial call by the referees that played a role in the final play of the game.
Where to start?
With about 1:21 remaining in the first half and Higley leading 22-7, a fight broke out after a punt return by Higley. It is not fully clear what caused it from the NFHS Network video, but it appears there was a big blindside block on the return. You can see it around the three-second mark in this video:
Higley and Desert Edge Coaching staffs actually did an incredible job of breaking this up before it got out of hand. pic.twitter.com/ILxOQHjuDW
According to Arizona Republic reporter Richard Obert, who was at the game, multiple players from Desert Edge’s sideline ran across the field toward the altercation. Zach Alvira at the East Valley Tribune reported that punches were thrown, and a referee attempting to pull players off each other fell to the ground.
In the video of the aftermath posted by Obert, there appears to be two dozen to three dozen Desert Edge players returning to their sideline:
This is ugly with 1:21 left in half. Fighting in scuffle, a ref gets knocked down, desert edge players rush field from sidelines. Big mess pic.twitter.com/YIjz9EXu00
The search goes on for video of what happened in between, but a photo from Patrick Breen published to the Arizona Republic shows a snapshot of a Desert Edge player going after a Higley player while another Higley player is attempting to calm the situation and a third is being held back by a teammate.
(Photo: Patrick Breen/Arizona Republic)
Head coaches met at midfield and were given a list of players who were ejected. In total, 16 Desert Edge players and three Higley players were done for the game, with another half of football yet to be played. The Higley Knights, who out-gained Desert Edge 391-137 over the first two quarters, took a 28-13 lead into halftime after two touchdowns — a 59-yard reception by Higley junior John Decausmaker and an 89-yard kickoff return by Desert Edge senior Kezion Dia-Johnson — occurred in the final minute of the second quarter.
With the Desert Edge Scorpions down so many players, Higley escalated its lead to 41-13 in the third quarter.
Then, the game truly began.
With 1:53 left in the third, Desert Edge junior quarterback Hezekiah Millender threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Jaqua Anderson. Dia-Johnson came up big again with 10 minutes to go in the fourth, catching a 79-yard touchdown pass, and then he set up another touchdown five minutes later with a 53-yard reception that put Desert Edge at the goal line.
Over just over 10 minutes of play, the Scorpions had cut the deficit from 29 to a one-possession game.
They got a chance to tie or win with the clock ticking down. Desert Edge drove the ball 90 yards downfield and rushed the ball in, setting up a two-point conversion attempt.
“We didn’t come here to tie,” Scorpions co-head coach Mark Carter told the Arizona Republic after the game.
The first one looked good, with Deshawn Warner getting to his left and into the end zone, but a holding flag brought the ball back and shut down the Scorpions’ celebration.
Crazier than September merry go round. Warner 2 point try to win it with no time left called back by holding. Will try tie pic.twitter.com/IBhL4zHTTy
Peter Clark with 5 Star Sports Media posted a video he shot from behind the end zone, showing the lineman (No. 62 in the white jersey) who was called for the hold:
My view of the “hold” on #62 for DE from tonight, looks to me as if #10 for Higley pushes #62 into #44. Don’t see how that constitutes as a hold when his momentum pushed him into him, no jersey grab just into the ground. That is what i call a BLOCK. 🤷🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/BSrfvwOiEf
Higley stormed the field with arms in the air, celebrating what may be the wildest championship game we’ll see this weekend.
Knights quarterback Gunner Fagrell finished with a line of 28-for-42 with 365 passing yards and two touchdowns, according to the East Valley Tribune. Running back Daxen Hall had 332 total yards — 219 rushing, 113 receiving on seven receptions — and punched in a pair of touchdowns.
On Desert Edge’s side, Millender went 16-for-20 with 326 yards, while Dia-Johnson finished with six receptions for 211 yards. The Scorpions finished the season 11-3.
Higley finished 12-2, and one of the only losses they experienced was to Desert Edge in another exciting contest, a 38-32 game.
The Knights got revenge on Friday night, aggressively attacking on offense through three quarters and then hanging on at the end to win their second championship in a row.
After going 2-9 only two seasons ago, Higley got on top in 2022 and has not relinquished the trophy since.
The 25-year-old joins as a free agent after a challenging spell in Portugal
Reggie Cannon has finally found a new home.
The U.S. men’s national team right back has signed a four-year contract with Queens Park Rangers, joining the Championship side as a free agent.
Cannon moves to England after spending three seasons in Portugal with Boavista, where the right back said he was only paid on time once during his entire spell.
The 25-year-old left Boavista before his contract was set to expire, with the club’s financial issues meaning he was given, in his words, “unilateral just cause to terminate my contract.”
Now, Cannon will start fresh with the R’s, who are 19th out of 24 teams in the Championship table after eight matches.
“We have fought off clubs to get him and I believe Reggie will become a big asset for us,” QPR head coach Gareth Ainsworth told the club website.
“He can play on the right side of midfield, as a wingback and he can play as a right-sided center back, so he is going to add real competition for places which is what we need.
“With him being without a club over the summer, he is going to need a bit of time to get up to speed but I know he is raring to get going with us.”
💥 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗡 💥@ReggieCannon15 is officially a Ranger! 👊
Cannon added: “I have always wanted to play in England, this is an incredible opportunity to show what I can do. QPR is a very historic club and I can’t wait to start my career here.
“I have played a bunch of positions across the backline. I love getting forward, I love the ability to defend, I love the ability to do both.
“Gareth said he wants to use me to get behind the opposition backline but also being that strong one-v-one defender I am and can be.
“I am strong defensively but I love to get forward and to be on the counter attack, making those blazing runs on the overlap or underlap, I think that is something that is my strength.”
The former FC Dallas defender has 28 caps with the USMNT, and narrowly missed out on last year’s World Cup roster.
The striker underwent surgery this month for an ankle ligaments injury
Norwich City head coach David Wagner has said Josh Sargent is expected to return from his ankle injury by January.
Sargent underwent surgery after suffering the injury last month in Norwich’s match against Huddersfield. The U.S. men’s national team striker was off to a hot start with the Championship outfit, scoring three goals in four league matches to open the new campaign.
Speaking to reporters, Wagner said he is hopeful that the 23-year-old will return before the new year.
“We saw Josh on Wednesday the first time in the building after his surgery,” Wagner said. “Looks good. Obviously, I’ve spoken with him and he does not need any painkillers any longer, which is the good information. Next week, he gets out of stitches, which is then the next step and it still is the time frame which we set — Christmas, early January — when we hope to have him come back.
“Everything went well so far. But now obviously it’s all about recovery and then to have a proper rehab, and then a proper build up of his fitness,”
Sargent last featured for the USMNT at the World Cup in Qatar, where he played in all three group-stage matches. Overall, the Missouri native has scored five USMNT goals in 23 caps.
The 23-year-old is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines
Josh Sargent is set to miss “months, not weeks” with an ankle injury suffered over the weekend, according to Norwich City head coach David Wagner.
Sargent injured his ankle while scoring the opening goal in Saturday’s 4-0 victory over Huddersfield. The striker blocked a clearance from goalkeeper Lee Nicholls and as he leapt to head into an open net, the trailing Nicholls barged him over and landed on his ankle.
Speaking to the media after Tuesday’s Carabao Cup win over Bristol City, Wagner confirmed that Sargent was set to miss a significant portion of the season.
“We still don’t have a clear picture, but what is sure is it’s a serious injury,” Wagner said. “So we speak more about months than weeks. We have to make a further assessment with him.
“He sees a further consultant and I think we have a clearer picture at the end of the week to know how many months and if he needs surgery, but it’s a serious injury, which we expected.”
Asked if the injury was to Sargent’s ankle ligaments, Wagner said: “Exactly.”
The injury is a major blow to club and player, with Sargent scoring three goals in four Championship matches to start to the new campaign. That followed a 13-goal campaign in the Championship last term.
Sargent looks likely to miss U.S. men’s national team matches in September, October and November. The 23-year-old last featured for the USMNT at the World Cup in Qatar, where he played in all three group-stage matches.
Tom Brady is now a minority owner of Birmingham City
Now that he’s actually, officially, retired from football, Tom Brady is getting in on the English soccer investment game.
On Thursday, the NFL legend was confirmed as minority owner of Championship side Birmingham City.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion has entered into a partnership with Birmingham’s owners, Knighthead Capital Management LLC, and has also been named chairman of the club’s advisory board.
“So here’s the deal, I’m officially coming on board at Birmingham City Football Club,” Brady said in a video posted on his Twitter account. “And maybe you’re asking, what do you know about English football, Tom? Well let’s just say I’ve got a lot to learn. But I do know a few things about winning, and I think they might translate pretty well.
“I know success starts with the work put in when the world isn’t watching. I know a team is nothing without the city that shows up and stands behind it.
“Most importantly, I know I like being the underdog. The road’s been long for Birmingham, but these fans have never stopped believing.”
Brady, 46, retired for a second and seemingly final time earlier this year after 23 seasons in the NFL. The three-time MVP and five-time Super Bowl MVP is widely considered one of the greatest (American) football players ever.
“Tom Brady joining the Birmingham City team is a statement of intent. We are setting the bar at world class,” said Birmingham’s chairman of the board, Tom Wagner. “Tom is both investing and committing his time and extensive expertise. As chair of the advisory board Tom will have a direct impact on the club. The men’s, women’s, and academy teams are going to benefit from the knowledge. The goal that Tom has committed to own is to make Birmingham City a respected leader in nutrition, health, wellness, and recovery across the world of football.”
Brady is the second NFL legend to recently get involved in English soccer, as JJ Watt and his wife Kealia Watt became investors in Burnley this May.
The USMNT midfielder looks set to be out at least another two months
Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has said he expects Tyler Adams to be sidelined through September’s international break due to a hamstring injury.
Adams did not feature for Leeds in the final two months of the Premier League season after he underwent hamstring surgery in March.
Leeds was already struggling, but losing Adams was a huge blow as the club was ultimately relegated to the Championship.
Adams also missed out on U.S. national team duty this summer, as the team still managed to easily win the CONCACAF Nations League without its captain.
Speaking to the media on Saturday after his side lost to Monaco in a preseason friendly, Farke said he expected the USMNT captain, along with winger Jack Harrison, to be out through mid-September.
“Jack Harrison and Tyler Adams are still on their way back because they are still doing their rehab so they will definitely miss the start of the season and they will definitely miss also [the] next weeks,” said Farke. “It will last a few weeks, it’s a bit too early to judge.
“I expect them perhaps to be back after the first international break, but it will last a while so they have to work on the rehab. Jack Harrison and Tyler Adams, top-class players, top characters, are so important for us. It’s not easy for us to start without them, but that’s reality.”
The USMNT will host Uzbekistan on September 9 before taking on Oman three days later in September’s FIFA window. Should Adams return after those matches, he would have missed six months of action.
The injury could also impact Adams’ transfer future. The 24-year-old has been linked with several Premier League teams recently, including Aston Villa and Brighton.
“The 49ers beat my Cowboys every year, so if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!”
Jordan Spieth has confirmed that he and fellow golf star Justin Thomas have completed a deal to become minority owners in Leeds United.
Spieth added that Rickie Fowler, who confirmed the trio’s interest in the Championship club last month, has pulled out of the deal.
Following its relegation from the Premier League, Leeds was taken over by 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers.
Spieth said that although he’d prefer to be getting involved with a Premier League team, he’s confident that the 49ers group has the ability to succeed in its stewardship of Leeds.
“Relegation wasn’t ideal, but we got involved with the 49ers group about purchasing a larger share and getting in with them doing things so successfully as they do everywhere they’ve touched,” Spieth told Sky Sports News.
“We thought it would be a cool opportunity. It’s a big city, historic club, great venue in Elland Road, and once we looked into it we realized it could be really exciting.
“They (the 49ers) renegotiated after relegation and it was possibly a better deal — as long as they can get promoted soon.
“I’m excited to have a team I’m emotionally invested in. I’ve watched the Premier League intently for a few years. Hopefully, we’ll be back very soon.”
Spieth confirmed that the deal has been completed, though he added that Fowler pulled out due to the club’s relegation.
“It’s done. Myself and Justin with a minority stake. The 49ers beat my Cowboys every year, so if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!
The businessman, who took over Millwall in 2006, was 70
John Berylson, the principal owner of Championship side Millwall, was killed in a car accident in Massachusetts on Tuesday.
Police said Berylson lost control of his Range Rover shortly before 8 a.m. in the coastal town of Falmouth, on Cape Cod. Berylson’s car careened off the road and overturned, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Berylson was 70, and leaves behind a wife and three children.
“John’s sudden and tragic passing will unquestionably impact all those who were fortunate to have known him,” Millwall said in a statement. “He was a truly great man, incredibly devoted to his family, and a person of such remarkable generosity, warmth, and kindness.”
Berylson, the founder of a Massachusetts-based private-equity firm, first became involved with Millwall in 2006, and became the club’s principal owner one year later.
Under his leadership, Millwall earned promotion from League One to the Championship in the 2009-10 season. After relegation five years later, Millwall was promoted back to the Championship at the first time of asking.
Millwall finished eighth in the Championship in the 2022-23 season, the club’s best finish during Berylson’s time as owner.
Millwall CEO Steve Kavanagh said in a statement that Berylson was “the best club owner I have ever worked with, and I would argue strongly that he was the best chairman of any club in this country.”
Alabama expected to rise back up to the top of the SEC West in 2023.
The Crimson Tide are looking to reclaim their throne atop the SEC West in 2023 after coming up short last season to the LSU Tigers. The good news for Alabama fans is that they get their three toughest games in LSU, Tennessee and Texas all at home in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama has won the SEC West in six of the past nine seasons and I expect that to be the standard for Nick Saban again this season. The Tide haven’t missed out on the SEC Championship Game in back-to-back years since 2010 and 2011. With two new coordinators and having to replace a Heisman Trophy winner, it won’t be a walk in the park, but the Tide has all of the tools in place to make it happen.
Steve Lassan of Athlon Sports predicts that Alabama will be the winner of the West in 2023 saying, “It’s a toss-up between Alabama and LSU at the top of the SEC West. With the game in Tuscaloosa next fall, a slight edge goes to the Crimson Tide at No. 1. But coach Nick Saban’s team also possesses more question marks than usual, so this won’t be an easy path to the SEC title game… Talent isn’t the issue for Saban’s team. How fast does this all come together?”
If Alabama can figure out the quarterback position and find some stability in the wide receiving room they immediately become the best team in the country. The offensive line and running backs will be outstanding in 2023 and I have a lot of optimism regarding Kevin Steele and the defensive pieces he has to utilize. Plus, it never hurts to have the best coach the game has ever seen.
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