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The New York Yankees on Tuesday continued their furious upgrade after losing the Juan Soto sweepstakes to the New York Mets, as the club acquired two-time All-Star and 2019 National League MVP Cody Bellinger in a trade with the Chicago Cubs. Bellinger, who plays two positions (first base and center field) the Yankees desperately need upgrades at, has a left-handed swing made for Yankee Stadium, and whose father won a pair of World Series titles in the Bronx in the 1990s, would seem to be a perfect fit for the pinstripes.

But Bellinger might just be a perfect fit for the Yankees for another reason. Shortly after news of the trade broke, an old interview of Bellinger from February of 2020 resurfaced, when the then-Los Angeles Dodgers star was very critical of the Houston Astros for their sign-stealing scandal, which had come to light in December of 2019, leading to discipline from MLB in January of 2020.

At one point, Bellinger even says that Astros star Jose Altuve "stole an MVP" from Yankees star Aaron Judge.

If looking for a trip down memory lane, here are Bellinger's full comments on the Astros.

Yankees fans still haven't forgiven the Astros, who defeated New York in the 2017 American League Championship Series when they were allegedly still stealing signs, for the scandal, which they feel denied them a chance at a World Series title. Heck, even Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is still miffed about it seven years later.

Of course, the Astros added fuel to the fire of Yankees' hatred when they went on to eliminate New York from the postseason two more times after 2017.

So, Astros' dislike seems to be a commonality among the organization and fanbase. Bellinger seems to check that box, among others.

On high alert in pursuit of the next generation of stars, Arsenal reportedly had scouts in place as a 17-year-old sensation smashed a Champions League record in midweek.

Gary Neville outlines key Arsenal title difference

Could this be Arsenal’s year at long last? Forever the bridesmaid and not the bride in recent years, Mikel Arteta looks likelier than ever to find himself walking down the aisle in May. The Gunners have been untouchable in recent weeks, having built on their impenetrable defensive record and set piece excellence to take the Premier League’s top spot.

With that top spot has, of course, come plenty of praise from the likes of Gary Neville. The former Manchester United right-back and Sky Sports pundit showered Arteta’s side with praise earlier this week, outlining the key difference between the Gunners and title challengers Liverpool.

Playing host to Crystal Palace this weekend, the champions-elect have the perfect opportunity to prove Neville right and keep hold of their Premier League lead.

Given how they dispatched of Atletico Madrid in midweek, the expectation at The Emirates will be three points in comfortable fashion this Sunday even if Crystal Palace have proved to be giant-killers as of late.

It’s not just on the pitch that Arsenal are looking for success, either. Sporting director Andrea Berta is already looking to build on a solid first summer at the helm by welcoming further reinforcements in 2026. His scouts were reportedly in attendance as a teenage sensation smashed a Champions League record in midweek.

Arsenal battling to sign Lennart Karl

As reported by Caught Offside, Arsenal scouts were spotted watching Lennart Karl on Wednesday as he became Bayern Munich’s youngest-ever Champions League goalscorer at 17-years-old and 242 days. Scoring from range in sensational fashion, the teenager broke the record previously set by Jamal Musiala.

With Berta battling the likes of Chelsea to sign what looks to be a future star, Arsenal could make a huge statement by securing his signature in 2026. Whether Bayern will allow anyone to even get close to their talented star remains to be seen, however.

Karl’s moment in the headlines has been coming since the summer, when he broke into Vincent Kompany’s first-team for the first time. Since then, it has been one step after another for the 17-year-old, before he tiptoed into shooting range against Club Brugge.

Bergkamp 2.0: Arsenal's "magic" star can turn Gyokeres into the new Henry

Could Arsenal’s “magic player” alongside Viktor Gyökeres replicate the club’s best-ever attacking partnership of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp?

By
Ben Gray

Oct 25, 2025

The vision is clear for Arsenal, who could land one young winger to match their own rising star in Max Dowman. In one move, Berta may well secure the future of Arteta’s attack when the summer transfer window swings open.

Mikel Arteta has admitted that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is helping to power Arsenal’s Premier League title bid. The Gunners are looking to land a first top-flight crown since the fabled ‘Invincibles’ of 2003-04, with their Spanish head coach prepared to use all of the tools available to him. He has, however, urged caution when leaning on technology for assistance.

• Unique methods: Arteta seeking marginal gains

  Arteta has become renowned for his somewhat unique take on coaching, with an Amazon Prime documentary series lifting the lid on his occasionally bizarre methods of motivation – which once included playing crowd noise in training sessions. He is always seeking marginal gains.

  In the modern era, that means taking advantage of the many sources of advice that are available. AI services are on hand to answer questions and simplify masses of data, with Arteta conceding that he is among those to have explored potential benefits there.

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  Former Arsenal Women's boss uses ChatGPT

  Former Arsenal women’s team coach Laura Harvey, who now works with the Seattle Reign in NWSL, recently told the of ChatGPT influencing her tactical decisions: “One day in the offseason, I was writing things into ChatGPT like, ‘What is Seattle Reign’s identity?’ And it would spurt it out. And I was like, ‘I don’t know if that’s true or not’. “And then like, ‘what do you need to do to be successful in the NWSL?’ Like really broad questions.

  “And then I put in, ‘What formation should you play to beat NWSL teams?’ And it spurted out every team in the league and what formation you should play. And for two teams — I’m not going to say who they are because they’ll know — it went, ‘You should play a back five.’ So I did. No joke, that’s why I did it.

  “It was early in the season and I said to the coaching staff, I’m not joking this is what I did. And they were like, ‘huh, interesting’. We researched it, we did a deep dive on it, we thought about how we could play it. And we went for it, and we liked it. It worked. We won the game. It didn’t tell you how to play it or what to do in it or any of that stuff. It was just like ‘this is what we would say to do’. And I was like, ‘alright’. And that was what spurred me to look into it. So then I really looked into it.”

• How Arteta is using AI at Arsenal

  Quizzed on whether he is treading a similar path, Arteta said of using AI to evaluate performances and identify areas of improvement: “It’s a tool that is super powerful if you use it in the right way and you ask the right questions. It’s in use already for many things and many processes that can help not just a team but an organisation as well. It will improve and it will give us good insight, or things at least to think about. I’m not an expert but it’s a valuable tool.

  “We have developed certain things that in our opinion can help us to understand ourselves better and evaluate what we do and what we can improve. And then we will explore using it in many other areas of the club.”

  He added on tech tools being unable to replicate the skills required to deal with players on a personal level: “If it’s reliable, it can help us [for injuries], for sure but always without losing the sensitivity and feeling and following your gut. We are dealing with human beings and that’s an aspect that, so far, it is not able to replace.

  “With the stats, it is about how do I interpret those stats and how reliable they are? You can get very confused, very annoyed, immediately. But this data means nothing, because you have to analyse. What is the methodology of that? And if you don’t understand that, and you just look at the data, then you can have a big problem.”

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  North London derby & Kane: Arsenal fixtures

  Arsenal have opened up a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, but dropped two in the latest outing after being held to a dramatic 2-2 draw at Sunderland.

  With another international break being reached, the Gunners will be back in action on November 23 when playing host to arch-rivals Tottenham in the north London derby – before then tackling Harry Kane and Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Hitting for the cycle is one of the rarest things a baseball player can do. The odds of doing so are roughly in line with throwing a no-hitter. Hitting a single, double, triple and home run in the same game is a truly incredible feat and only 348 players have done it.

With the MLB postseason upon us, let's examine the number of players who have hit for the cycle in the playoffs.

How many players have hit for the cycle in the MLB playoffs?

Despite MLB being formed 123 years ago, only one player has ever hit for the cycle in a postseason game. And it wasn't a household name.

Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Barry Bonds all failed to do it. The man who accomplished the feat was Brock Holt. He did it as a member of the Boston Red Sox during Game 3 of the 2018 American League Division Series. The Red Sox beat the Yankees 16–1 in that game at Yankee Stadium en route to a 3–1 series win.

In that game, Holt singled to center in the fourth inning, then tripled to right later in the same inning as the Red Sox batted around. Holt hit a ground-rule double in the top of the eighth and got another at-bat in the ninth inning, where he hit a home run to complete the cycle. He finished the game 4-for-6 with five RBIs and three runs scored. It was the second cycle of his major league career.

Holt and the Red Sox went on to win the World Series, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.

Who is Brock Holt?

Holt is a former MLB player who played all over the diamond defensively. He started his big league career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, debuting in 2012. In December of that year, Holt was part of a six-player trade between the Pirates and Red Sox. He made his debut with Boston on July 6, 2013. The Sox went on to win the World Series that season but Holt didn't play in the postseason.

Holt was called up again in May 2014 and spent the rest of the season with the team. In 2015, he made the American League All-Star team. For the season, he slashed .280/.349/.379 with two home runs and 45 RBIs. He struggled to stay healthy in 2016 and 2017, but was a regular for the Red Sox again in 2018 as they won another World Series.

Holt never played a full season again and bounced around to the Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals in 2020 and the Texas Rangers in 2021. He signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves in March of 2022, but requested his release a few weeks later. He announced his retirement on October 27, 2022.

To the well-trained eye of Baseball Hall of Famer and Fox Sports analyst David Ortiz, Game 3 of the World Series was over for the New York Yankees before it even started. Ortiz, speaking on Fox Sports' postgame show following the Los Angeles Dodgers' 4-2 win on Monday night, called out the Yankees'—and their fans'—"body language" from before and during the Game 3 loss, which put New York in a 3-0 hole in the World Series.

"I'll tell you what," Ortiz said. "You hit home when you talk about the body language. Even when Fat Joe came out, the body language from the fans was like damn! I was like what's going on here?! Are we in a funeral already?! You know what I'm saying? I'll tell you what."

Ortiz then went on to add that even after Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo's two-run home run in the ninth inning, which provided a glimmer of hope, he still didn't see any positive signs from the home team's dugout.

"Your body language had to be there all the way to the last out. Even when the home run was hit, they wasn't even celebrating."

The Yankees crowd was energized in the beginning but had the life taken out of it in the first inning by a two-run home run off the bat of Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, who has homered in all three games of the World Series thus far. And any hopes of a comeback were spelled by Dodgers starter Walker Buehler, who blanked the Yanks for five innings to earn the victory.

To hoist a 28th World Series trophy, the Yankees will have to do what just one team in MLB history has done: erase a 3-0 deficit.

Heeding the words of Ortiz, who helped orchestrate the only comeback from down 3-0, might help.

Ajax are considering a sensational reunion with Erik ten Hag, with director Alex Kroes holding fresh talks to bring the former coach back amid mounting pressure on John Heitinga. The Dutch giants’ struggles under the ex-Liverpool assistant have prompted calls from fans and insiders for change as the club seek stability after another bruising European night.

• Ajax crisis deepens as Heitinga loses support

  Ajax’s season has lurched deeper into crisis following their 3-0 home defeat to Galatasaray, leaving Heitinga’s future hanging by a thread. The result sparked fury among fans, who demanded “a coach with experience” in a statement released by supporters’ group AFCA, urging director Kroes to act swiftly.

  Kroes, who has faced growing criticism over the team’s direction, reportedly met Ten Hag earlier this week in Huizen. Officially described as a “planned coffee meeting,” the timing just days before the Galatasaray collapse has fueled speculation of an imminent managerial change, according to .

  The ex-Manchester United boss, currently out of work after a brief spell at Bayer Leverkusen, remains deeply respected in Amsterdam after his trophy-laden tenure between 2018 and 2022, during which he guided Ajax to three Eredivisie titles and a Champions League semi-final. His potential return is viewed as the club’s only viable lifeline to restore order on and off the pitch.

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  Kroes looks to Ten Hag as crisis solution

  Inside the Johan Cruyff Arena, pressure is mounting not only on Heitinga but also on Kroes himself, whose credibility is now tied to the struggling manager. According to reports, the Ajax director will hold follow-up talks with Ten Hag, hoping to persuade him to take charge before the winter break. For Kroes, the stakes are clear. Without Ten Hag’s agreement, his own position could soon become untenable. 

  Ten Hag’s track record speaks for itself. Under his leadership, Ajax became synonymous with dynamic, high-pressing football and world-class talent development, producing stars such as Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt and Donny van de Beek. His return would not only bring tactical clarity but also much-needed stability to a fractured club structure.

  However, the 55-year-old will face a far tougher challenge this time. The current squad, described by Dutch media as “limited and flawed,” lacks the depth and technical quality of his previous era. Yet, given the club’s current state, expectations are modest, few believe a title race is even possible this season.

• Fan frustration reaches breaking point

  Wednesday’s humiliating loss to Galatasaray marked Ajax’s fourth straight defeat in the Champions League, leaving them bottom of the table and with just one goal scored. Heitinga, once seen as a steady interim figure, now looks increasingly out of his depth. Players’ silence spoke volumes: Davy Klaassen, echoing teammates Remko Pasveer and Steven Berghuis, stopped short of backing the coach, admitting there was still “little foundation” and “little development.”

  The discontent reflects deeper structural failings. Ajax’s recruitment has faltered, academy integration has slowed, and confidence has drained from a squad built on uncertainty. The AFCA supporters’ group voiced what many fans feel: “This football will bring tears to your eyes.”

  For a club once hailed as Europe’s model of modern success, the current malaise has been jarring and it explains why Ten Hag, despite previous tensions with the board, is seen as the only man capable of restoring identity and purpose.

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  Ten Hag’s return: motivation, timing and obstacles

  Since the abrupt end to his three-game stint at Leverkusen, Ten Hag has been taking time away from football. Reports suggest he is open to returning to Ajax in January, provided the club demonstrate both ambition and structural support.

  Financially, the move will not be simple. His €6 million severance package from Leverkusen complicates immediate negotiations, but Ajax are prepared to wait if it means securing their preferred candidate. Rival interest from Wolves, currently battling relegation in the Premier League, adds a layer of urgency. 

  For Ten Hag, the appeal is clear – a chance to reclaim his legacy at the club where he built his reputation and reignite a project that still bears his tactical fingerprints. For Ajax, it’s a gamble they can’t afford not to take.

Leeds United are back in action in the Premier League for the final time before the international break when they face Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road this afternoon.

The Whites welcome Thomas Frank’s team to West Yorkshire in the early kick-off in the top-flight, as they look to head into the break off the back of another positive result.

Daniel Farke’s side have made a respectable start to life in the Premier League after they won the Championship title with a club-record 100-point haul in the 2024/25 campaign.

Leeds have eight points on the board after six matches and were seconds away from having another two points to their name in their 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, as they conceded in stoppage time.

The Championship champions have scored five goals in their last two matches in the Premier League, having beaten Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 in the game before that draw with the Cherries.

Despite that impressive goal return in the last two outings in the top-flight, finishing chances has been an issue for Farke’s side throughout the season so far.

Why Leeds need more from their attackers

Leeds need to get more out of their attackers at the top end of the pitch because some of them have missed too many big chances, and others have not gotten into dangerous enough positions in front of goal.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who arrived on a free transfer from Everton in the summer, scored his first goal for the club with an excellent header against Wolves last month.

However, the former England international has lacked a ruthless edge in front of goal with his performances for the club so far, which is a slight cause for concern moving forward.

Tottenham have only conceded four goals in six games in the Premier League under Frank, which suggests that chances will be few and far between and that Leeds will need to be clinical with what they are able to create.

As you can see in the table above, Calvert-Lewin has missed eight ‘big chances’ and scored one goal in five appearances for the Whites so far, which shows that he has been incredibly wasteful in front of goal.

His hold-up play, winning 5.3 duels per game (Sofascore), will be important against the Europa League champions to alleviate pressure, though, which is why he should keep his place in the team.

It is, therefore, Brenden Aaronson who should be taken out of the starting line-up for this clash with Spurs because he lacks the clinical edge that the Whites will need given how strong their opponents are at the defensive side of the game.

The USA international has failed to score in six league games so far this season and scored one goal from 3.86 xG in 36 appearances in the Premier League in the 2022/23 campaign, per Sofascore.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

This means that Aaronson cannot be relied upon to finish a chance if it comes his way against the Lilywhites, which is why he should be ruthlessly dropped from the starting line-up to provide another player with an opportunity to shine.

In his place, Farke could add the clinical edge that his team will need against Spurs by unleashing Joel Piroe in a brand-new role on the right flank this afternoon at Elland Road.

Why Joel Piroe should be unleashed against Spurs

The Dutchman has fallen down the pecking order in the number nine position in West Yorkshire this season, as evidenced by the fact that he has been an unused substitute in his last three appearances in the matchday squad.

It has been a disappointing start to life in the Premier League for last season’s Championship top scorer, who caught the eye of fans and pundits with his clinical finishing.

In fact, former Spurs star Chris Waddle compared him to Harry Kane, saying: “He reminds me of how Harry Kane plays. He comes off and drags the centre halves out, which is great for Dan James and their other wingers. If you have got wingers with a bit of pace, they can exploit the space that has been created for him and I think that works very well.”

Piroe scored 19 goals in the Championship to fire Leeds to promotion and win the Golden Boot, which earned him that comparison to the Tottenham icon, who now plays for Bayern Munich.

However, instead of unleashing him as their own version of Kane, who scored 280 goals for Spurs as a number nine, Farke should look to unleash the left-footed star in a brand-new role on the right.

All 78 of his starts for Leeds have come in central positions, as a striker or as an attacking midfielder, but he has scored 13 goals in 28 matches as a right-winger for the other clubs in his career combined, per Transfermarkt.

This suggests that he does have the potential to be effective in that position, even if his lack of mobility and natural physicality mean that he does not look like a natural pick in that area of the pitch.

As you can see in the table above, Piroe was undoubtedly an immense finisher for the Whites in his two seasons in the Championship with the club, outperforming his xG in both campaigns.

That is why it was not a surprise to read that Beren Cross quoted Farke as saying that the Dutch striker is “the best finisher he has ever worked with” in his pre-match press conference for the Spurs match.

Given that the German head coach has worked with players like Teemu Pukki, Mario Gotze, and Marcus Thuram, that is incredibly high praise from the manager.

Aaronson, as aforementioned, has not offered enough of a threat as a goalscorer throughout his Premier League career and Dan James and Wilfried Gnonto are both injured, which is why unleashing Piroe on the right flank could be an inventive solution to the team’s lack of ruthless finishing.

Leeds had the original Gudmundsson & they let him leave for just £1m

Leeds must regret cashing in on this star who was the original Gabriel Gudmundsson at Elland Road.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 2, 2025

The Whites would then have Calvert-Lewin as the number nine to provide physicality and hold-up play, Noah Okafor on the left to provide pace and dynamism down the left, and Piroe on the right to offer a clinical edge in front of goal.

The squad is missing some key names, forcing Mauricio Pochettino to shuffle the deck ahead of final two matches of 2025

The November U.S. men's national team camp was supposed to be a glorious return. It was meant to be a big test, one designed more around building rather than experimenting. Parguay and Uruguay, the two upcoming opponents, were supposed to be measuring sticks for a full-strength USMNT.

Instead, this camp serves as something of a reminder that, at this level, not everything goes as planned. Players come and go, injuries take their toll and tough decisions have to be made. This camp, then, is now defined once again by a team at less than full strength.

That's not to say this November camp lacks purpose. These games are still vital tests, but will be played with a different roster than anticipated.

"We want to win and, for sure, we are going to give the possibility to different players and the chances to perform, and maybe to present the possibility for them to be called in the future," USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino told reporters on Thursday after revealing the roster. "We want to give the opportunity in international duty to give experiences to some players, because you never know what can happen before we announce to the world the roster for the World Cup."

This, ultimately, is what can happen before – and during – a World Cup. Injuries can take away players such as Christian Pulisic and Antonee Robinson. Poor form can impact players such as Yunus Musah. Wear and tear can get to someone such as Chris Richards, who has been so ever-present.

How, then, will those players in camp respond? 

GOAL looks at key takeaways from Pochettino's roster release.

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  Reyna's return

  The prescription for Reyna has been obvious for some time now: he needs to play. It's why he hasn't kicked on with the USMNT in recent years. It's also why he had to move clubs in Germany this summer. So far, he hasn't played nearly as much at Borussia Monchengladbach as many would have liked.

  Yet, for the first time since the Nations League collapse in March, he's been called back into the USMNT. What he makes of that is up to him.

  "We already know the potential of Gio, and the talent," Pochettino said. "He is an enormous talent and it's true that he's not playing too much. But I think it's a good opportunity in November because, until March, we're not going to be able to be together again. There are not too many possibilities to see him again, and try to share time or to perform on the pitch. It's about being with him, to share time, and get to know him better. 

  "He's a special player. He's a very talented player. That is why we need to be open and to provide – even if he's not playing too much – because he's suffered and was injured. Now, he's started to be fit again, and it can be a boost of motivation for him to be with us. That is important for us."

  This isn't necessarily Reyna's last chance to make the World Cup roster, but it is getting late. He's featured just once under Pochettino and did little to impress. Now, handed another lifeline, can Reyna deliver?

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  'Milan or Palace, they are not right to complain'

  Per usual, there are a variety of reasons for absences. Several players, such as Antonee Robinson, Tim Weah and Cameron Carter-Vickers, are out injured. Others, such as Pulisic, Johnny Cardoso and Malik Tillman are just getting back from injury.

  Others were more surprising. Weston McKennie, Pochettino says, will stay with Juventus to adjust to life under Luciano Spaletti, his newest coach on the club level. Perhaps the most notable absence, though, is Chris Richards, who was left out of the squad days after Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner took aim at the USMNT for playing the centerback last month despite an ongoing calf issue.

  Glasner, it should be noted, proceeded to play Richards 90 minutes the very next day. Pochettino, meanwhile, was left frustrated by the coach's comments, particularly as a coach who – with experience at Tottenham, PSG and Chelseas – used to be in his shoes on the club level.

  Palace weren't the only club that expressed frustrations, though, as Milan also reportedly reached out to US Soccer about Pulisic's status following his hamstring injury last camp. Pulisic, who was the subject of much controversy over the summer when he decided to skip the Gold Cup, has reportedly resumed training and is expected to return to Milan’s squad for Saturday’s Serie A trip to Parma.

  "This is to provide him the possibility to recover 100-percent and be full and be ready to play after international duty with his team," Pochettino said of the decision to allow Pulisic to stay with Milan. "That is common sense. We never risk players. He played against Australia because he felt really good and because all of the assessment from our doctors and medical staff were right – and the player agreed with us.

  "He didn't play the first game against Ecuador because he came into the game with a problem that he made, again, with his club in Italy. That is why. We care about him. But that can happen when you play game. There is always a risk when you play."

  Regarding the protests from Crystal Palace and Milan over conflicts between club and county responsibilities, Pochettino has a clear point of view, saying, "they are not right to complain."

  "People say, 'It's a friendly game', but no, that is wrong," Pochettino said. "We are not playing friendly games. We are playing games that prepare our journey to the World Cup. If not, we'd just play the Under-20s, because why play games? It's something that makes me very, very sad because I think sometimes people don't understand, or maybe they don't think about what it means to have the responsibility to represent a country or a national team, in this case, the USA.

  "I was in different clubs for more than 15 years working and I was always respectful of the national team, accepting the rules. I think the players are the most important. And the players know how we act, and how we respect, and they respect that because we are clear in our communication. I think in these situations, Milan or Palace, they are not right to complain. Because I think as a coaching staff we care about the player. We are the first to care, and we've never made a player play with some doubt. Never. Never."

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  The star strikers

  Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright are all in camp together. That hasn't happened since the Copa America in 2024, largely due to extended injury absences by Balogun and Pepi. Now fit, all three are scoring at the club level. It's a great time for all three to be in camp.

  Realistically, if the World Cup were to start today, this would likely be the striker group. There's an argument to be made to include someone such as Patrick Agyemang or Josh Sargent, but if you're selecting three, these are clear choices. They all check the boxes for the striker position, including the most important one: goals.

  Balogun has built momentum with the USMNT and Monaco by scoring multiple goals recently, Wright is running rampant through the Championship, and, now healthy, Pepi is still finding ways to score despite not starting for PSV.

  "This type of player is a very talented player," Pochettino said of Pepi. "We were talking about Gio, but it's the same with Ricardo, and the aim is to provide a big boost or motivation to them to keep pushing and keep improving. They need to have that motivation and to know that we care about them. When players are good in the mind, it's important to improve their legs and physical condition. They need to know that they are in the race for a place on the roster for the World Cup, and that is the most important thing.

  "Then they can play, more or less. But the thing is that they need to give their best to try and arrive in the best shape, to be animals, to be really strong and arrive for a competition that is going to be the most important in the history of the national team."

  While there are few questions about the top three spots on the striker depth chart, there are still questions about the first one. Who starts in this camp? Who starts when the World Cup begins? We may finally get some answers to those questions now that everyone is healthy, scoring and, finally, in camp together.

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  No room for Turner among goalkeepers

  Since the start of the Gold Cup, Matt Freese has been the starter in goal. By and large, Turner has been his backup. However, even following news that Turner is training with Crystal Palace to stay fit, he was not included in this squad. That seems as clear of a message as any as to where he stands in the goalkeeping group.

  The belief, by and large, has been that Freese is in pole position, but nothing is decided. Turner, the former USMNT starter now back in MLS with the New England Revolution, would be waiting for his chance to prove why he should be the guy in goal for a second consecutive World Cup. He won't get that chance this camp, though, as he was left off in favor of Patrick Schulte, Jonathan Klinsmann and Roman Celentano.

  There are now questions about Turner's pathway back, particularly given the fact that there's just one more international break before the World Cup. All eyes will be on him to start the next MLS season, then, as he now fights to earn his place on the team.

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim “loves” a key midfield target who’s similar to Mason Mount and would like to bring him to the club.

Amorim heaps praise on Mount

Mount’s time as a United player has been frustrating to date, with injury problems often getting in the way and preventing him from kicking on his career.

The Englishman, on £150,000-a-week, is admired greatly by Amorim, however, who hailed his qualities back in August, showing that he sees him as an important part of his plans.

“It’s unbelievable the way he [Mason Mount] works, moving all the time from positions. He knows all positions, but also the other guts, it was a good test to prepare the first team.”

For Mount, it’s a case of staying fit and proving his worth, with his versatility allowing him to thrive in a two-man midfield in Amorim’s preferred 3-4-2-1 formation, or as one of the attackers behind the striker.

United need further depth in the middle of the park, however, especially with Casemiro potentially departing at the end of the season, and they have now been linked with an excellent potential replacement.

Amorim "loves" Man Utd transfer target

Speaking to Tipsbladet [via Sport Witness], journalist Gianluca Di Marzio claimed that Manchester United boss Amorim “loves” Morten Hjulmand and would ideally like to snap him up, providing he stays in a job, with the Sporting CP defensive midfielder having a £70m release clause.

“In relation to United, it is about whether Amorim is fired or not. Amorim loves him and Juventus is also interested in him. This summer, Juventus could not spend €50-60m on his position because they needed strikers.”

Hjulmand could be exactly what United are after, being compared to Mount in terms of style, albeit playing a more defensive role, as well as earning praise from Denmark manager Brian Riemer.

“His character, his leadership, his personality [and] his communication are not very common in today’s football, and I was at many clubs, in Copenhagen, Brentford, Anderlecht. It reminds us of the defensive midfielders of the past, who controlled the entire game, who led the teams, you don’t see that much nowadays. It’s something rare what Hjulmand has. I’m a big fan of his, I think we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg with Hjulmand.”

This season, Hjuland has completed 91.5% of his passes in the Primeira Liga, as well as averaging 2.3 tackles per game, so he is a force both in and out of possession.

Man Utd could now pay £52m for "lethal" new striker with 28 goals last season

The Red Devils may be willing to shell out a huge fee to sign a centre-forward.

By
Dominic Lund

Oct 17, 2025

The fact that Amorim already knows the 26-year-old Dane well from their time together at Sporting can also only be a good thing, and he has quality and energy to bring so much to United’s midfield.

A full day of Major League Baseball gets started on Saturday afternoon and rolls through the evening. 

The story of the last two weeks has been the shaky play from the Yankees, relative to its blistering start. However, it seemed like the offense broke out of its slump on Friday against the Blue Jays. Can the team keep it rolling on Saturday with Nestor Cortes on the mound? 

Here’s our pick for that game as well as every other one on the stacked Saturday card. 

Rockies vs. White Sox Prediction and Pick

Pick: White Sox (-115)

Two of the most futile teams in the big leagues meet on Saturday and I’ll side with the small home favorite.

Rookie Jonathan Cannon has made six starts this season and has showcased a decent breaking ball with pinpoint control (94th percentile walk rate). 

His best days are also ahead of him. While he has a 4.59 ERA, his xERA sits at 3.81, meaning some positive regression is coming. 

Reds vs. Cardinals Prediction and Pick

Pick: Cardinals (-190)

The Cardinals are justified big favorites with Sonny Gray on the mound, who has been on point all season with a 2.81 ERA with a near-32% strikeout rate.

Yankees vs. Blue Jays Prediction and Pick

Pick: Yankees (-125)

The Yankees skid has been prolonged, but I think the team is in a good spot to snap out of it against the Blue Jays due to an edge on the mound and at the plate. 

The Blue Jays struggle against left handed pitching, 24th in OPS, which sets up nicely for Yankees’ starter Nestor Cortes. 

Further, Chris Bassitt can’t be trusted. He has diminished control (near-nine percent walk rate) and has an xERA nearly one run higher (3.45 vs. 4.22). 

Marlins vs. Phillies Prediction and Pick

Pick: Phillies (-250)

The Phillies had no issues with the Marlins with Bryce Harper out of the lineup, and I expect another win on Saturday against a lowly Miami team with the always capable Aaron Nola on the bump. 

Athletics vs. Diamondbacks Prediction and Pick

Pick: Athletics (+170)

Zac Gallen will return to the mound for Arizona after hitting the injury list for a hamstring strain on May 30th, and I’ll fade him in his first start back. 

Gallen may be on a pitch count, which can lead to more variance from a shaky Diamondbacks bullpen.

There are enough question marks to take the big underdog.

Nationals vs. Rays Prediction and Pick

Pick: Nationals (+115)

Aaron Civale is due positive regression from his poor metrics, posting a 5.20 ERA against a 4.00 xERA, but there are still some poor numbers indicating it may not come so fast. 

Civale has been a victim of a ton of hard contact with his diminishing fastball, allowing a hard-hit percentage of 40.6% (career high) and is a predominantly flyball pitcher (sixth percentile ground ball percentage), meaning he can quickly find himself into trouble. 

Astros vs. Mets Prediction and Pick

Pick: Mets (+100)

The Mets should be able to stay hot against the Astros, who are top five in the big leagues against left handed pitching. 

Southpaw Framber Valdez has struggled to stay healthy this season and pitch to his Cy Young expectation. Valdez has a fourth percentile hard-hit percentage and has lost his ability to find his strikeout prowess, right at the big league average. 

Ride the streaking Mets. 

Guardians vs. Royals Prediction and Pick

Pick: Royals (-110)

The Royals, one of the best home teams in baseball, have arguably its best pitcher on the mound in Cole Ragans. Ragans is the superior pitcher with a nasty fastball that strikes out nearly 30% of the batters he has faced this season, and will have the Royals’ bats playing at home to back him up. 

Kansas City is the second best hitting team at home this season, a big reason why the team is 29-15 on the year at Kauffman Stadium. 

I’ll take the home team in a matchup that is lined like a coin flip. 

Cubs vs. Brewers Prediction and Pick

Pick: Cubs (-105)

Justin Steele should continue to pitch to his fine form against a Brewers team that is 20th in OPS against southpaw. 

Steele may have an 0-3 record, but he is pitching to a 3.08 ERA with a similar xERA (3.27) while striking out about a quarter of the batters he is facing. 

I think this matchup sets up nicely for him to grab his first win of the year. 

Pirates vs. Braves Prediction and Pick

Pick: Braves (-155)

Will Paul Skenes, the NL Rookie of the Year front runner, put together another monster effort against a talented Braves roster? 

While Skenes is more than capable of handling any big league roster, the Pirates inability to give him run support will stop the team from winning. 

The Pirates are hitting .238 against lefties and rank 19th in OPS, but I think we are getting a break on the price because of Skenes. 

Padres vs. Red Sox Prediction and Pick

Pick: Padres (+125)

The Red Sox will start Cy Young candidate Tanner Houck (2.18 ERA) on Saturday, but the Padres may be up to the test with Michael King on the mound. 

King has been fantastic all season, pitching to a 3.75 ERA with an excellent offspeed pitch arsenal that leads to a 92nd percentile hard-hit percentage. The Red Sox have serious power in the lineup, but King has done a fine job of avoiding blowup innings with his ability to work around hitters. 

Dodgers vs. Giants Prediction and Pick

Pick: Giants (+185)

While Tyler Glasnow has been excellent in his first season with the Dodgers, this is simply too wide of a price for him on the road. 

Glasnow has a ton of strikeout prowess, he is in the 98th percentile in terms of strikeout rate, but the Giants strikeout at a league average rate and the team held up nicely against him earlier this season. San Francisco tallied three earned runs with four hits in six innings, good enough that can extend this game into the bullpen portion of the evening. 

Meanwhile, Erik Miller is an elite groundball pitcher, 93rd percentile with a strong strikeout rate, 27%, that can limit the power of the Dodgers lineup. 

Rangers vs. Orioles Prediction and Pick

Pick: Orioles (-155)

The Rangers issues against lefty pitching is well documented, 20th in OPS against southpaws. However, this month as a whole has been trying for the defending World Series champs, as the team limps in batting .227 as a unit in June. 

I’ll grab the Orioles at a reasonable price tag.

Tigers vs. Angels Prediction and Pick

Pick: Angels (+105)

The Tigers continue to be overpriced due to a strong pitching staff, but the run support simply isn’t there. Detroit is hitting .213 as a unit this month, and can’t cover this price tag against a better lineup on the road. 

Twins vs. Mariners Prediction and Pick

Pick: Twins (-125)

Twins’ starter Pablo Lopez continues to erase a slow start to the season, and his underlying metrics make him a worthwhile bet against a Mariners team that is only hitting .210 in the month of June, the lowest in the big leagues. 

Lopez has been a victim of poor variance, his 3.27 xERA is far lower than his 5.11 ERA with an elite strikeout rate of 27%. 

I’m counting on the Twins’ starter to roll through the overrated Seattle lineup.