Young players shone as Union Berlin continued their strong performance in the Bundesliga with a 2-0 victory over struggling Holstein Kiel on Sunday.
Nineteen-year-old wing back Tom Rothe assisted 20-year-old midfielder Aljoscha Kemlein, who scored his first senior goal with a header in the 18th minute. Rothe, who was important in helping Kiel get promoted last season, secured the win by heading in Union’s second goal from a corner in the 85th minute.
This victory puts Union in fifth place in the Bundesliga, just three points behind leaders Bayern Munich. It marks Union’s first back-to-back league wins since February.
Union surprised everyone by finishing fourth in the Bundesliga last season, which allowed them to qualify for the Champions League in 2023, but their last season was disappointing. They did not win any matches in their Champions League debut and ended up in 15th place in the Bundesliga.
Berlin players celebrates after a goal
Kiel, now promoted, is in the relegation zone and has yet to earn a point at home this season after losing its fourth home game in a row.
In another match on Sunday, Werder Bremen came back from a 1-0 deficit to defeat Wolfsburg 4-2, moving up to eighth place.
Tiago Tomas put Wolfsburg ahead with a heel kick as the ball bounced around a crowded penalty area, but Mitchell Weiser’s volley right before halftime leveled the score for Bremen. In the second half, goals from Bremen’s Felix Agu, Marvin Ducksch, and Marco Grüll secured the victory.
Wolfsburg coach Ralph Hasenhüttl will be without attacking midfielder Patrick Wimmer, who received a red card for a reckless tackle on Grüll.
Wolfsburg is currently in 13th place and has scored the first goal in each of its last four Bundesliga matches but has won only one of those games. They also have just one point from their four home matches.
A soccer derby in Stockholm that could influence the Swedish league title was stopped in the second half on Sunday after Djurgarden fans threw fireworks onto the field.
The match between Hammarby and Djurgarden will continue on Monday afternoon without any fans present, as police decided that the organizers could not ensure safety if the game resumed.
Hammarby was in second place in the league and was ahead 2-0. A draw would let rival Malmo take the title with three games remaining. Djurgarden was tied on points with Hammarby, and a win would keep their hopes alive to surpass Malmo.
Supporters set off pyrotechnics in the match
With about 15 minutes left in the match, Djurgarden fans set off several pyrotechnics, causing the teams to leave the field for around 50 minutes. Eventually, it was decided to finish the match without fans. However, some supporters refused to leave, leading police to announce that the game would have to be completed on Monday.
Unlike much of Europe, Sweden’s Allsvenskan soccer league runs from spring to fall.
Kyle Larson celebrates in victory lane after winning the race
Kyle Larson has had good luck recently in Las Vegas, where he starts the third round of NASCAR’s playoffs leading the Cup Series standings and is favored to win Sunday’s race.
Larson arrives at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway as both the defending champion of this race and the winner of the spring race there this season. Winning on Sunday would make it three in a row at Vegas and a complete sweep for the season, plus it would guarantee him a spot in the championship finale.
The playoff started with 16 drivers, and this three-race round of eight begins in Las Vegas to determine who will move on to the winner-takes-all championship four finale. The next races will be at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville Speedway in Virginia before the final race in Phoenix.
“Las Vegas has been one of our better tracks,” Larson said about his chances for Sunday. “On paper, all three tracks in the round of eight look good for us, but we still have to perform. I want to run well and win.”
Larson has two wins in the first two playoff rounds: one at Bristol Motor Speedway in the first round and another at the hybrid/road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway last week. That win marked his best season with six total victories.
Kyle Larson leads the field on a restart in the NASCAR Cup Series auto race
Larson left Charlotte celebrating with his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, as William Byron, Alex Bowman, and Chase Elliott all advanced, putting four Chevrolet drivers in the third round. However, NASCAR disqualified Bowman after a postrace inspection, which eliminated him from the final eight.
Joey Logano from Team Penske took Bowman’s place and joined his teammate and reigning Cup champion Ryan Blaney in the round of eight. They are the only two drivers representing Ford.
Toyota has the other three spots filled by Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin, along with regular-season champion Tyler Reddick from Hamlin’s and Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing.
Larson mentioned that the Hendrick team felt the impact of Bowman’s disqualification and noted that Logano should not be underestimated. Logano is the only two-time Cup champion still in the playoffs and has won three times at Las Vegas.
“Obviously, I’d love to have Alex in the round of eight. Joey is a very tough competitor,” Larson said. “You can never count him out. So when he benefits from the disqualification, it’s like, ‘Dang, he’s a strong rival.’”
McLaren’s Lando Norris narrowly beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for the top spot at the United States Grand Prix on Saturday as Formula 1 returned from its autumn break, with both drivers continuing their battle for the season championship.
Verstappen won the earlier sprint race, increasing his lead over Norris to 54 points with six grand prix and two sprint races remaining this season. Verstappen is aiming for his fourth straight championship, while Norris is seeking his first.
Norris secured the pole position, edging out Verstappen by 0.31 seconds during his first lap in the final session at the Circuit of the Americas.
Verstappen was on track for a strong final lap that could have put him in the lead, but had to stop when Mercedes driver George Russell crashed, bringing out a yellow caution flag to end the session.
“That happens,” Verstappen said. “Qualifying is not always in your control.” Norris described his pole lap as the best qualifying performance of his career.
Max Verstappen attends a news conference
“It came together perfectly… I didn’t expect to be here,” said Norris, who has taken four pole positions in the last five races. “I’m lucky and I’ll take it. Tomorrow is going to be a tough race.”
Starting from the front will give Norris and McLaren an advantage after Verstappen controlled the sprint race, extending his championship lead by two points while Norris finished in third place.
The sprint race marked Verstappen’s first win of any kind in nearly four months. His last grand prix victory was in Spain in June, followed by a sprint race win in Austria a week later, but he has faced challenges since then.
Norris has been steadily reducing Verstappen’s large championship lead, raising questions about whether Verstappen can maintain it. Since Verstappen’s last grand prix win, Norris has claimed two victories and three other podium finishes, helping McLaren surpass Red Bull in the team standings.
The sprint race win should boost Red Bull’s confidence in the improvements made to a car that Verstappen previously called “undrivable” and “a monster” during his winless stretch. Red Bull introduced several upgrades to the car this week.
The early signs were encouraging.
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris after the race
Verstappen easily fended off Norris in the beginning of the sprint race and won the 19-lap event by almost 4 seconds. Even without starting from pole, Verstappen’s car displayed moments of its former speed and control.
“Feels a bit like old times,” Verstappen said after winning the sprint race.
Following the qualifying session where he placed second, Verstappen expressed satisfaction with the car’s performance and didn’t seem upset about not securing pole.
In the last race in Singapore, Verstappen finished second, but was 21 seconds behind Norris. “We’re on the front row at least. The potential is there,” for a win, Verstappen stated.
Verstappen hasn’t started from pole position in Austin since 2021, but he still won the race in both 2022 and 2023. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz will start in third place on Sunday.
Cavaliers small forward Max Strus will be out for at least six weeks due to a right ankle injury he suffered during a recent workout, adding to the challenges for a Cleveland team that faced many injuries last season.
The Cavs announced on Saturday that Strus, who had already been dealing with a hip injury from the team’s first exhibition game, got hurt during an individual workout on Thursday. He will be evaluated again after six weeks.
Cleveland, which reached the Eastern Conference semifinals last season despite several serious injuries, starts its season on Wednesday in Toronto. The Cavs will have their home opener on Friday against Detroit and former coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus, left, passes the ball around Orlando Magic guard Joe Ingles (7) during the first half of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series
Strus, who is in his second season with the Cavs after being acquired in a sign-and-trade deal with Miami last year, made 70 starts for Cleveland and averaged 12.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 32 minutes per game.
He suffered a hip injury during Cleveland’s preseason opener on October 8 while trying to take a charge in the second quarter against Bulls rookie forward Matas Buzelis. Strus took the hit and fell hard but stayed in the game before limping off to the locker room.
After the game, the Cavs reported that Strus had a bruised hip.
Strus previously played three seasons with the Heat and one with the Chicago Bulls.
Here are some of the awards Victor Wembanyama received in the past year: the NBA rookie of the year trophy, a place on the All-Rookie team, a first-team All-Defense selection, three Rookie of the Month awards, and most recently, an Olympic silver medal.
While these are all impressive, they aren’t enough for him. Wembanyama wants more, and as the San Antonio Spurs star from France prepares for his second NBA season—after meeting almost every high expectation in his first year—he’s not afraid to express his ambitions.
“It’s the same for all of my trophies, team trophies or even individual,” Wembanyama said. “I love them. I really cherish them. But I want all my trophies that I get right now to be bricks to build something great in the future. You know, one brick by itself is not much. You can get a palace when you accumulate them.”
So, let the building process continue.
Victor Wembanyama greets the young fans before the conference
If San Antonio hopes to return to the playoffs this season, Wembanyama will need to be a major factor. Officially listed at 7-foot-3 by the Spurs—though he seems at least a couple of inches taller, and he claims he hasn’t grown—Wembanyama understands that everyone will be watching him this season, even though there likely isn’t anyone in the NBA who can match his height.
He was the unanimous rookie of the year and finished second in the defensive player of the year voting after averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, a league-leading 3.6 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game last season.
He is likely to be an All-Star this season and is already being discussed as a candidate for MVP. He’s also the favorite to win defensive player of the year. Only a few players have received this much respect heading into their second year in the NBA, and Wembanyama has earned all the praise he’s getting.
“It’s a matter of time,” said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. “You know, he’s an incredible talent. He’s very dedicated as well. I think we saw that during the summer in the Olympics, especially in France when there were high expectations for that team.
The biggest moments are when he played his best, including our final game. I think that was his best game. But in the last two or three games, you could see him trending in that direction when they really needed him to step up. That was impressive.”
Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic during an NBA encounter (Credit:Sports Illustrated)
The Paris Olympics—where Wembanyama carried the hopes of a whole nation for a gold medal—was another chance for him to shine. He averaged 15.8 points and 9.7 rebounds, was named FIBA’s Rising Star of the tournament, and made the All-Star Five (FIBA’s version of an all-tournament team) along with MVP LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, and Dennis Schroder.
Wembanyama saved his best performance for the gold-medal game against the U.S., scoring 26 points. While his effort kept France close, it wasn’t enough to overcome the barrage of 3-pointers Curry made in the final minutes, securing a fifth straight Olympic title for the Americans.
It was another sign that Wembanyama isn’t just heading toward stardom; he’s already there, and the Olympics could be a stepping stone to even greater fame.
“Victor was great,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who observed Wembanyama in Paris. “He improved steadily throughout the Olympics and became very impressive. But for all the players who have participated in FIBA over the years in the summer, it’s always beneficial.”
Wembanyama draws inspiration from various aspects of the game. He admires fellow rookie of the year Caitlin Clark, a WNBA star from the Indiana Fever. (“When she was in college … she was the only college player that I was in awe of.
Victor Wembanyama reacts after scoring
I’m talking about both men’s and women’s basketball. She’s probably the most impressive,” Wembanyama said.) He’s also eager to learn from experienced veterans that the Spurs added this summer, Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes.
“He works extremely hard,” Paul said of Wembanyama. “His ability to shoot, pass, dribble, do everything, and his defense … it’s taken some getting used to. We’re a work in progress.”
As point guard, Paul’s role is to make things easier for Wembanyama on the court. However, that doesn’t mean he will go easy on him off the court. During the preseason, the Spurs held a table tennis tournament, and Paul defeated Wembanyama in the semifinals.
That didn’t sit well with Wembanyama. What he said after that table tennis event might reveal his true mindset as he enters his second NBA season. Simply put, when he faces a challenge again, he wants to perform better than he did the first time.
“Today, he’s the best. It’s not going to last,” Wembanyama said after the table tennis match. “I don’t have a lot of experience in ping pong, but I’ve improved a lot lately. So, it’s not going to last.”
He doesn’t have much NBA experience either, but he has made progress. The league knows what to expect. He was almost impossible to guard last year, and he’s going to be even better this time.
“A successful year would be a year where we don’t waste time making the same mistakes we did last year and we apply our improvements right away,” Wembanyama said. “I think it’s going well because when I watch everybody—and I watched everyone during the summer—everyone was working really hard. It just seems like it’s going to pay off.”
Zaccharie Risacher scores in the 1st half of the preseason game
The current NBA rookie of the year. The current NBA defensive player of the year. The No. 1, No. 2, and No. 6 picks in this year’s NBA draft. They all share one thing in common.
They’re French.
While France has had players in the NBA for years—about four dozen in total—this might be the best time for French players in the league. There are established stars, emerging talents, and promising newcomers all around.
Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio is the reigning rookie of the year, and Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert is a four-time defensive player of the year. This season, French talent is on the rise with No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher from the Atlanta Hawks, No. 2 pick Alex Sarr from the Washington Wizards, and No. 6 pick Tidjane Salaün from the Charlotte Hornets.
“It’s not just France. It’s Spain, it’s Italy, it’s Germany, all these places, Australia,” said San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. “Some of these kids start when they’re 13, 14, 15 years old, and they go to these clubs.
Chris Bounder dunks in the 1s half
They leave their families, go to the clubs. They go to school in the mornings and play basketball in the afternoon. They learn individual skills, team skills, how to play. It’s serious stuff. They love the game just like we do here. They have great coaches, and over time, there you go.”
Basketball has been getting more attention in France for some time, and it has been particularly bright lately. The U.S. won both the men’s and women’s basketball gold medals at the Paris Olympics, defeating France in both finals, and neither victory was easy; the American men were in a close game until the end, and the women won gold by just one point against the hosts.
Wembanyama, who will play two games in France in January when the Spurs and Indiana Pacers meet in Paris, was the unanimous NBA rookie of the year. Gobert set a record with his fourth defensive player of the year award, and in a unique event, the top six picks in the draft were evenly split, with three from the U.S. and three from France.
“It’s been great. It’s been great,” Risacher said, speaking perfect English, about adjusting to life in Atlanta. “It’s an adjustment to make, but it’s definitely a great thing to do. I mean, I’m 19 and I have the opportunity to do so much in my life. … I’m super excited, super happy.”
People will naturally compare Risacher and Wembanyama since they are both French and were No. 1 picks in consecutive years. The Hawks are aware of this and hope it doesn’t hinder this year’s top pick.
Victor Wembanyama celebrates after a point
“I’ve tried to kind of articulate what I think is the reality of the situation,” said Hawks coach Quin Snyder. “You know, we literally won the lottery.
“What we’ve really tried to impress upon Zack is his work ethic is aligned with getting better,” he added. “And I think he loves to play, and that’s shown in some of the games. He knows how to play.”
Among those looking forward to seeing Risacher’s performance is Wembanyama. However, the Spurs star hasn’t given the Hawks rookie any advice on how to handle the upcoming NBA season.
“I’ll always be here for him, as a fellow future national-team teammate, I hope, and as a friend, of course,” Wembanyama said. “But he’s got his own history to write. And I don’t think he needs any advice. I’m very confident in his mental strength.”
Jacksonville Jaguars NFL football cornerback Tyson Campell (3) during practice at The Grove in Watford
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell has been taken off injured reserve in time for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium.
The Jaguars’ secondary has had difficulties without Campbell, who missed the last five games due to a hamstring injury.
Campbell signed a four-year, $76.5 million contract extension before training camp and performed well in the season opener.
New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas gathers with teammates during a football practice
On Saturday, the Jaguars also moved running back Jake Funk and defensive end Joe Gaziano up to the active roster.
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson mentioned on Friday that running back Travis Etienne (hamstring) would be a game-time decision.
The Tennessee Titans placed wide receiver Treylon Burks on injured reserve Saturday and promoted quarterback Trevor Siemian from the practice squad, which raises questions about Will Levis’ availability against Buffalo.
Coach Brian Callahan suggested on Friday that Burks would likely go on injured reserve after he injured his knee during practice this week. Callahan mentioned that Burks would be out for “some time no matter what.”
Burks, who was picked 18th overall in the 2022 draft, was acquired in the trade that sent Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Brown to Philadelphia on draft night. This season, Burks has four catches for 34 yards. In his career, he has 53 receptions for 699 yards and one touchdown over 27 games.
Will Levis (NFL)
The Titans (1-4) also listed Levis as questionable after he had limited participation in practice on Friday. Levis is dealing with an AC joint sprain in his right throwing shoulder, which he suffered on September 30. He only threw for 95 yards in last week’s loss to Indianapolis.
Levis practiced throughout the week but was limited on Wednesday and Friday. This situation could open the door for veteran Mason Rudolph to start, marking his first start since he played the last three games of the previous season for Pittsburgh, winning all three, including a 17-10 victory on the road against Baltimore in the season finale on January 6.
Rudolph joined the Titans during the offseason and came in to help secure Tennessee’s only win at Miami.
The Titans also signed defensive lineman Abdullah Anderson to the roster. Along with Siemian, they promoted defensive back Gabe Jeudy-Lally from the practice squad for this game.
New England Patriots’ top rusher Rhamondre Stevenson was listed as active for the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Wembley Stadium after missing one game due to a foot injury.
This season, Stevenson has gained 356 yards on 77 carries and scored three touchdowns. The fourth-year running back has also made 13 catches for 37 yards.
Rookie wide receiver Javon Baker did not play because he missed Friday’s practice due to being ill.
New England’s other players who are inactive include wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, outside linebacker Sione Takitaki, quarterback Joe Milton, offensive tackle Vederian Lowe, and defensive end Jeremiah Pharms.
Jaguars running back Travis Etienne was inactive because of a hamstring injury. He had only three carries for minus-1 yard last week in a 35-16 loss to the Chicago Bears.
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris celebrates after making a tackle during the first half of an NFL football game
Defensive lineman Maason Smith was also inactive, even though the Jaguars had traded defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris to the Seattle Seahawks.
The “home” team’s other inactive players include defensive end Myles Cole, offensive lineman Javon Foster, offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen, and defensive tackle Esezi Otomewo.
Jacksonville’s Tyson Campbell was active after being added to the roster on Saturday. The cornerback had missed the last five games due to a hamstring injury.
Haason Reddick walks off the field at halftime of an NFL football game
Haason Reddick is finishing his long holdout with the New York Jets and will join the team on Monday.
Agent Drew Rosenhaus told The Associated Press on Sunday that Reddick has agreed to a new contract for this season, and both sides will continue to work on a longer deal for the future.
This agreement came less than a week after the Jets allowed Reddick to look for a trade. He hasn’t played this season due to a contract disagreement with the Jets, who traded for him from Philadelphia in late March to strengthen their pass rush.
ESPN was the first to report that Reddick was ending his holdout. NFL Network shared that the Jets will cover $12 million in fines that Reddick had built up as a penalty for not reporting to the team.
Rosenhaus, who now represents Reddick along with Ryan Matha after Reddick switched agents recently, mentioned last week that Reddick “would like to be a New York Jet for years to come.”
Haason Reddick (NFL)
This statement came just a day before Jets owner Woody Johnson said at the NFL’s fall meetings in Atlanta that the team would allow Reddick to explore a trade.
It seems Reddick is staying with the Jets, at least for the rest of this season.
The star edge rusher, who was the last remaining holdout in the NFL, has not been with the Jets since his trade was finalized, and he passed his physical on April 1.
The 30-year-old Reddick was put on the reserve/did not report list on July 25, the second day of the team’s training camp practice. He asked to be traded on August 12, but general manager Joe Douglas quickly denied that request, stating that New York would not fulfill his wish.
The Jets are facing the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Sunday night after a chaotic two weeks. New York surprisingly fired coach Robert Saleh on October 8 and named defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as the interim coach. Ulbrich decided to replace offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett as the play caller with passing game coordinator Todd Downing.
In a long-expected move, the Jets finalized a trade last Tuesday to bring in wide receiver Davante Adams from Las Vegas, reuniting him with his former Green Bay teammate Aaron Rodgers. Adams, who missed the Raiders’ last three games, was expected to play against the Steelers.
New York Jets players celebrates after a touchdown
Now, New York will finally have Reddick on the defense.
He was set to earn $14.25 million in non-guaranteed salary during the last year of his contract but wanted a long-term deal from Philadelphia. When the Eagles refused to give him a new contract, Reddick requested a trade and ended up in New York.
During a conference call discussing Saleh’s firing, Johnson made a direct request to Reddick to join the team.
“Haason, get in your car, drive down (Interstate) 95 and come to the New York Jets,” Johnson said of the player from Camden, New Jersey. “We can meet you and give you an escort right into the building and you’ll fit right in. And you’re going to love it here and you’re going to feel welcome and you’re going to accomplish great things with us.”
The two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher has a total of 58 career sacks over seven seasons in the NFL.
Parker Washington falls into the endzone 96-yard touchdown in the 1st half
Jacksonville receiver Parker Washington sprinted 96 yards for the longest punt return touchdown in Jaguars history during Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium.
Washington turned at the goal line and performed a “Nestea plunge” backward into the end zone. This touchdown, along with a two-point conversion, gave Jacksonville a 22-10 lead.
Parker Washington runs for a 96-yard punt return for a touchdown in the 1st half
Washington was filling in for injured Devin Duvernay as the punt returner. He caught a 57-yard punt at the Jacksonville 4-yard line, then ran straight before cutting left to avoid two tacklers and find open space. He zoomed past punter Bryce Baringer at midfield and was clear for the score.
