Lamine Yamal came out on top against fellow Spain star Nico Williams when Barcelona won 2-1 over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday. This was the first match between the two young talents since they led Spain to victory in the European Championship.
Yamal scored the opening goal, and Robert Lewandowski added the second, giving Barcelona two wins from two games to start the Spanish league season.
The Barcelona teenager scored in the 24th minute with a curling shot similar to those Lionel Messi used to make. Yamal controlled a deflected ball, took two touches to move along the edge of the box, and then found an angle to shoot with his left foot.
The ball went into the net after hitting Athletic player Íñigo Lekue. Before and after the game, Yamal and Williams chatted, but Yamal did not disclose their conversation, saying, “we are just good friends.”
Robert Lewandowski celebrates after a goal
He did, however, make a light-hearted remark about his friend when discussing his goal.
“I saw that Nico, who is not very intense while defending, was coming and I found the space I needed to shoot,” Yamal said.
Oihan Sancet equalized in the 42nd minute with a penalty kick after Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsí fouled Alejandro Berenguer.
However, Barcelona kept Williams from making an impact and continued to press until Lewandowski restored their lead. The Polish striker had already hit the bar with a header when he scored in the 75th minute, following a passing move involving Raphinha and Pedri.
Lewandowski had scored twice in Barcelona’s 2-1 win at Valencia in the previous week’s Spanish league opener.
Christoph Daum, the bold soccer coach who was denied the German national team job after admitting to using cocaine, has passed away. He was 70 years old.
Daum died at his home in Cologne on Saturday after a battle with cancer, according to family members who spoke to news agency dpa on Sunday.
“He was a pioneer of the modern game and remained controversial and passionate about football until the end,” said German soccer federation president Bernd Neuendorf. “I had the chance to meet him personally a few weeks before his death. He lived football with every fiber of his being.”
Daum’s fight with cancer mirrored his life. Even as a young, skinny boy growing up in Duisburg, West Germany, he would challenge boys who were bigger and stronger.
As a dedicated and demanding coach, Daum led Stuttgart to the Bundesliga title in 1992. However, he never won the trophy again. Between 1996 and 2000, his Bayer Leverkusen team finished as runner-up three times and third once.
In 2000, Leverkusen missed the chance to win the Bundesliga for the first time after losing 2-0 to promoted Unterhaching. Daum said he cried his eyes out.
Leverkusen had to wait until this year to finally shed its “Neverkusen” nickname, but Daum’s work laid the groundwork for that success. He was a guest of honor at the celebrations.
Christoph Daum reacts in the Bundesliga soccer match
“Christoph changed many things here in terms of processes and internal structure. Under him, Bayer 04 became a major rival to Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund,” said Leverkusen legend Rudi Völler.
Daum was expected to take over as Germany coach in 2000 after the national team’s poor performance in the European Championship.
However, his personal life came under scrutiny when Uli Hoeneß of Bayern Munich suggested in an interview that Daum had a drug problem. Media reports revealed cocaine-fueled parties involving prostitutes.
Daum denied using drugs and provided hair samples for testing. The results showed traces of cocaine.
As a result, he was dismissed as the coach of Leverkusen, and the scandal also ended his hopes of becoming the Germany coach.
“It was a big mistake that I acknowledged and apologized for,” Daum said years later. “Who can say their life has been completely free of mistakes? I certainly cannot.
What matters is to recognize mistakes, correct them, and then do better. That’s what being human means.”
Christoph Daum ahead of their Europa League match
Daum found success as a coach outside Germany. He won a league and cup double with Austria Vienna in 2003 and Turkish league titles with Fenerbahce in 2004 and 2005. He had also led city rival Besiktas to Turkish cup and league titles in 1994 and 1995.
After his time with Fenerbahce, Daum returned to Germany and helped Cologne get promoted to the Bundesliga in 2008.
He later went back to coach Fenerbahce and also managed Eintracht Frankfurt, Club Brugge, Bursaspor, and Romania.
“Christoph Daum was a true child of the Bundesliga. As a motivator and communicator without a previous professional career, he helped shape the coaching profession and the Bundesliga at the beginning of the media age,” said Marc Lenz, the managing director of the German soccer league.
Lenz added that Daum “remained true to himself throughout his career, both in success and after setbacks and mistakes.”
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland battles for control of the ball with Chelsea’s Romeo Lavia during the FC Series soccer match
Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia is injured again.
Lavia did not make the squad for Chelsea’s Premier League match against Wolves on Sunday. Manager Enzo Maresca mentioned that Lavia has a minor hamstring issue.
Roméo Lavia
Lavia was a major signing for Chelsea last summer but missed almost the entire season due to injuries. He had his first Premier League start in last weekend’s 2-0 loss to Manchester City, where he was one of Chelsea’s standout players.
Chelsea’s newest addition, Joao Felix, was on the bench after moving from Atletico Madrid. Raheem Sterling was not included in the squad once more.
Out of contention and far from the playoff spots, Harrison Burton changed his luck with an unforgettable final lap on Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway.
Burton overtook two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch on the last lap during overtime to secure his first career win and a spot in NASCAR’s postseason.
The 23-year-old Burton, who will lose his ride in the famous No. 21 Ford with Wood Brothers Racing next season, took the lead with a big push from lesser-known driver Parker Retzlaff.
Busch tried to come back and even got close to Burton’s bumper, pushing him below the double-yellow line. However, NASCAR officials decided that the contact caused Burton to cross the line but did not penalize him.
“Besides just flat-out wrecking him, there was nothing else I could do,” Busch said.
Busch finished in second place, with Christopher Bell, Cody Ware, and Ty Gibbs following. This was Burton’s first win in 98 Cup starts and marked the 100th victory for the Wood Brothers.
Harrison Burton crosses the finish line ahead of Kyle Busch
“I cried the whole victory lap,” Burton said. “I, obviously, got fired from this job. I wanted to do everything for the Wood Brothers that I could. They’ve given me an amazing opportunity in life and to get them (No.) 100 on my way out is amazing. We’re in the playoffs now. Let’s go to Darlington and see what happens.”
Burton’s father, former NASCAR driver Jeff Burton, who was calling the race for NBC Sports, called to congratulate him and then hurried down from the broadcast booth to celebrate with his son in victory lane.
“It’s been the hardest three years of my life, obviously the hardest three years for some of these guys’ lives,” Harrison Burton said. “To win it the way we just did it, to beat the best in the business — Kyle Busch — across the line, it’s pretty fantastic.”
The win was unexpected, even though Daytona often has surprising winners. Burton had just one top-five finish and five top-10s in his three-plus years in NASCAR’s top series.
Martin Truex Jr. should be feeling secure as he heads to Darlington Raceway for the Cup Series’ regular-season finale.
The 2017 series champion has a 58-point lead in the playoff standings, which is likely enough since the most any driver can gain is about 60 points. Thirteen of the 16 playoff spots are already secured, with Harrison Burton surprisingly claiming the latest spot at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night.
Truex is well-positioned for one of the remaining three spots, leaving NASCAR with two open spots at the “Track Too Tough to Tame.”
This sets up an interesting race next weekend, with Ty Gibbs, Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace, and Ross Chastain competing for one spot based on points. Additionally, nearly two dozen other drivers, including two-time series champion Kyle Busch, will need a win on Sunday to make the playoffs.
Busch had a chance to secure his spot at Daytona, where he hasn’t won since 2008. However, Burton passed him on the final lap during overtime to earn his first win in 98 career starts.
Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. drive in the NASCAR Cup Series
This victory was a significant moment for Burton, who had been fired earlier this season and will be replaced by Josh Berry in the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing in 2025.
“I’ve struggled to put it into words,” said Burton, whose father, Jeff, called the race for NBC Sports. “To me, just the circumstances, obviously the way the last three years have gone, has not been the way I wanted to represent myself, the way I wanted to represent this team.
“Then to have the kind of walls closing in, there’s a different end to my time to get to drive this historic car. To find a way to win while those walls are kind of closing in, to me, is really, really special. It almost makes the last three years worth it.”
Busch got close to Burton’s bumper as they approached the finish line but couldn’t pass him. Now, Busch will head to Darlington needing a win to keep his streak of making the playoffs for 12 consecutive years alive.
Avery Boyd, Chase Lane, and Malik Rutherford decided to celebrate with their Georgia Tech teammates by doing an Irish jig while the team was passing around the Aer Lingus College Football Classic trophy.
It was the perfect dance for the occasion, and they performed it well. It was their second great performance of the day at Aviva Stadium.
Aidan Birr kicked a 44-yard field goal as time expired, leading Georgia Tech to a 24-21 upset over No. 10 Florida State on Saturday in the first major college football game of the season.
This win was Georgia Tech’s first against a top-10 team since they beat the Seminoles 22-16 in October 2015.
Jamal Haynes rushed for 75 yards and scored two touchdowns for Georgia Tech, while Haynes King passed for 146 yards and ran for 54 yards. The Yellow Jackets (1-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) controlled the game by running for 190 yards and averaging 5.3 yards per carry.
“Really proud of the offensive line,” coach Brent Key said. “Shocking there, right? Really proud of those guys and how they were prepared.”
Florida State players celebrate a touchdown
The Seminoles, coming off an undefeated regular season and with a new roster, tied the game with 6:33 left in the fourth quarter after a 15-play touchdown drive that included two fourth-down conversions by DJ Uiagalelei.
Florida State (0-1, 0-1), which was favored to win by 10 1/2 points according to BetMGM Sportsbook, never got the ball back. Birr kicked the winning field goal with 5 seconds left, which stayed inside the left upright.
Uiagalelei completed 19 of 27 passes for 193 yards in his Florida State debut, mostly making shorter passes until the late fourth-down completions.
Ryan Fitzgerald made a 59-yard field goal, which was his career-long and the second-longest in school history, just before halftime to tie the game at 14. He had earlier made a 52-yarder.
Each team had only seven drives. Georgia Tech’s final two drives were among the best: an 11-play, 89-yard touchdown drive and a 12-play, 49-yard drive that set up Birr’s kick.
“Very limited possessions,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said. “The importance of every snap in that game was monumental.”
Deion Sanders speaks in the Big 12 NCAA college football
Deion Sanders is determined to keep negativity out of his life and the Colorado football program. He even had a newspaper columnist barred from asking questions at football events because he felt the coverage was too negative.
Sanders has had a busy summer working on integrating a new offensive line and two new coordinators, while also dealing with the media. As he got ready for the Buffaloes’ season opener against North Dakota State, Sanders was asked on Saturday if he ever felt targeted by negative outside opinions.
“This is a way of life for me,” Sanders said. “You guys act like this is the first time I’ve been shot at, I’ve been lied on, cheated, talked about, mistreated. That’s a gospel song, ain’t it?”
The tension with the media reached a peak on Friday when the university announced that Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler was banned indefinitely from asking questions at football events.
Deion Sanders directs his team in the NCAA spring college football
The school explained that this decision was due to “a series of sustained, personal attacks on the football program and specifically Coach Prime, the CU Athletic Department in conjunction with the football program.”
One of Keeler’s recent headlines was “Deion Sanders is a false prophet. CU Buffs? College Football Playoffs? I’ll have what Coach Prime’s smoking.”
On August 9, Sanders had a heated exchange with Keeler, accusing him of consistently attacking his program. Keeler suggested they meet privately to discuss the issue, which Sanders agreed to, but he refused to let Keeler ask questions at the news conference.
The next day, Keeler’s column was titled: “Deion Sanders, 4-8 coach, gave a 3-9 news conference. Coach Prime showed CU Buffs fans a four-letter side they hadn’t seen before: Fear.”
Jiyai Shin plays her shot at the 4th tee in the 3rd round
Two-time champion Jiyai Shin took advantage of a back-nine struggle by top-ranked Nelly Korda to grab a one-shot lead after the third round of the Women’s British Open at St. Andrews on Saturday.
The 36-year-old Shin gained a lot of confidence heading into the final round by making her last of seven birdies in a 5-under 67 at the famous golf course.
On the par-4 17th hole, known as the Road Hole, Shin used a fairway wood that landed at the front of the green and rolled to within two feet of the pin.
This put Shin at 7-under par in the final major of the year, and she will start on Sunday aiming to add to her British Open wins from 2008 and 2012.
Korda, who is also aiming for her third major title and her first at the British Open, will start two strokes behind the leader after a disappointing 75.
Nelly Korda in action on day of the 2024 Women’s British Open golf championship
She began with a three-shot lead but missed short putts for bogeys at her first two holes, dropping into a tie for the lead. She regained the lead with three birdies before the turn.
Korda struggled on the back nine, missing a 4-foot par putt at No. 12, another from 5 feet at No. 13, and then made a double bogey on No. 16 after hitting her drive out of bounds.
She also had a bogey at the 17th hole, which she had birdied on the previous days, but finished with a birdie on the last hole, leaving her in third place.
“It’s nice to finish with a birdie,” Korda said, “but it wasn’t the best of days.”
Defending champion Lilia Vu, who played with Korda in the final pairing, made a birdie putt on No. 18 to shoot 71 and hold second place.
Olympic champion Lydia Ko (71) and Jenny Shin (70) were tied for fourth.
Deshaun Watson throws during a joint NFL football practice
Deshaun Watson will not return to the field until the regular season starts.
The Cleveland quarterback missed the Browns’ preseason finale against Seattle on Saturday night. He is expected to be ready for the season opener against Dallas on September 8.
Watson had shoulder surgery in November and has played only 12 games in two seasons with the Browns. He missed the first two preseason games and experienced some arm soreness during practice on Wednesday.
However, he fully participated with the first-team offense in Thursday’s workout, which was closed to the media.
Coach Kevin Stefanski had intended to play Watson in the preseason finale but decided to be cautious with his star quarterback.
Deshaun Watson talks with the teammates
Additionally, the Browns are dealing with injuries at both offensive tackle positions, which might have influenced the decision.
Watson was in uniform for pregame warmups and did some light throwing. Before the game, Stefanski expressed satisfaction with Watson’s progress.
“I’ve seen a lot from him and really that confidence really goes back to the work that he has put in the spring into the summertime,” Stefanski said on the Browns telecast. “He has worked so hard getting his body ready, getting his mind ready and I’m excited about that for him. But it’s a whole body of work.”
Backup quarterback Jameis Winston started the game against the Seahawks.
Watson had surgery in November to fix a broken glenoid (socket) bone in his throwing arm, which cut short his second season with Cleveland after six starts.
Los Angeles Rams running back Ronnie Rivers Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland runs drills during a joint NFL football practice
Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland, who set an NFL record last season by returning five interceptions for touchdowns, will be out for six to eight weeks due to a stress fracture in his foot.
Bland will need surgery for the injury, which was discovered after he reported pain in his foot during training camp in California last week. An imaging test showed the stress fracture.
The Cowboys announced Bland’s injury before their preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers. The team had recently left their California training camp.
This injury is a setback for the Cowboys as they prepare for the return of 2021 All-Pro Trevon Diggs, who missed most of last season due to a torn knee ligament. Diggs led the NFL with 11 interceptions in 2021.
Dallas Cowboys players in a huddle
In his second season, Bland was an All-Pro after leading the league with nine interceptions. His first pick-6 happened in the season opener against the New York Giants, followed by additional ones in Week 4 against New England, Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams, and Week 10 against Carolina.
His fourth return for a touchdown tied the record previously held by Philadelphia’s Eric Allen, Kansas City’s Jim Kearney, and Houston’s Ken Houston. He set a new record the following week in a game against Washington.
Bland, a fifth-round pick from Fresno State in 2022, has 14 interceptions in 34 games.
Green Bay Packers celebrates his fumble recovery during the second half
The Green Bay Packers’ kicking battle is coming down to the final days.
Greg Joseph boosted his chances of taking the starting job from Anders Carlson by hitting a 55-yard field goal and a 36-yard field goal in Saturday’s game. The Packers won 30-7 against the Baltimore Ravens in a preseason finale where most of the key players for both teams were resting.
Carlson made a 54-yard kick in the first quarter but missed a 32-yard attempt later in the game.
“We’ll wait and see,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said about the kicking competition after the game.
Following Carlson’s struggles last season, the Packers brought in Joseph to compete. Joseph has previously played for the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, and Minnesota Vikings.
“I’ve controlled what I can control,” Joseph said. “Anything beyond that is out of my hands.”
Both teams rested their top players to keep them healthy for the regular season. The Ravens had some misfortune with running back Owen Wright breaking his foot and center Nick Samac being carted off the field.
Samac, a rookie from Michigan State, had been working with the first team while Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum deals with a neck issue.
Nate McCarry tries to get past Ravens Ka’dar Hollman in the 2nd half of the game
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he is confident that Linderbaum and tight end Mark Andrews, who was injured in a car accident last week, will be ready for the regular season.
With most starters not playing, this last preseason game gave a chance for players trying to make the team. NFL teams must cut their rosters to 53 players by Tuesday.
Green Bay’s Arron Mosby made a strong case for himself by getting a strip-sack that led to a touchdown and intercepting a pass on a back-to-back series.
Kristian Welch also intercepted a pass for the second week in a row. Ellis Merriweather, Nate McCrary, and Emanuel Wilson combined for 190 rushing yards.
The Packers might need one of these running backs to step up early since AJ Dillon is dealing with a stinger and rookie MarShawn Lloyd has a hamstring injury. This leaves their availability uncertain for the start of the season.
In the battle to back up Green Bay’s starting quarterback Jordan Love, Sean Clifford was 6 of 14 for 53 yards with a touchdown to Malik Heath. Rookie Michael Pratt, a seventh-round pick, was 8 of 12 for 80 yards with a touchdown to Bo Melton and also had a pass intercepted by Baltimore’s Trenton Simpson.
“I think it’s similar to the kicking competition in terms of there were some really good moments and then there were some things we absolutely have to do better, and then we’ll evaluate everything that’s out there for us,” LaFleur said.
With MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson resting, Baltimore’s Josh Johnson was 5 of 7 for 71 yards with a 48-yard touchdown pass to Tylan Wallace. Rookie Devin Leary, a sixth-round pick, went 6 of 13 for 34 yards with two interceptions and a fumble.
Baltimore used some players who might start on an offensive line that has seen a lot of changes, with Andrew Vorhees at left guard, Daniel Faalele at right guard, and Roger Rosengarten at right tackle.
The Ravens lost guards Kevin Zeitler to the Detroit Lions and John Simpson to the New York Jets in free agency, and they also traded right tackle Morgan Moses to the Jets.
Green Bay Packers players celebrates in the NFL preseason
Baltimore also started rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins, a first-round pick who had hurt his shoulder in Baltimore’s preseason opener and didn’t play against the Atlanta Falcons last week.
“He’s had a great camp,” Harbaugh said. “He’s definitely everything we thought he was. Not that he can’t get better, because he can and I’m sure he will, because he works at it. He’s going to be a big part of our team this year.”
But the most impressive plays came from players fighting for the final roster spots.
Mosby, who has only three NFL games under his belt from Carolina in 2022, made a big impact by sacking Leary and causing a fumble. Anthony Johnson Jr. picked up the fumble at the Baltimore 24-yard line and ran it into the end zone.
On Baltimore’s next drive, Mosby intercepted a pass from Leary.
Now he’s waiting to see if he did enough to make the team.
“You never know how these 72 hours go,” Mosby said. “If it’s here or somewhere else, you’ve always got to be ready.”
Tanner Mckee runs with the ball in the 2nd half of the game
Minnesota’s Jaren Hall passed for 162 yards and two touchdowns in the first half against Philadelphia’s backup players, leading the Vikings to a 26-3 win on Saturday in the preseason finale for both teams.
Hall completed 15 of 21 passes, with touchdown throws of 8 yards to Trishton Jackson and 4 yards to Justin Hall. A fifth-round pick in 2023, Hall is expected to be the Vikings’ No. 3 quarterback, behind Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens.
“I thought he did a great job,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “He was efficient. He was playing fast. He’s put a lot of work in. Something he should be proud of, for sure.”
Hall commented, “Just a lot of rhythm. It started with the tempo up front. When you step on the field, play as fast as you can.”
Minnesota finished the preseason with a 3-0 record but faced a major setback when rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy tore the meniscus in his right knee against the Raiders on Aug. 10. He is out for the season.
“Just proud of our guys,” O’Connell said. “A culmination of what we’ve emphasized in training camp. Our guys are ready.”
Neither team used its starting quarterback. Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts didn’t play in the preseason for the second year in a row.
Kenny Pickett in the 1st half of the game
The Vikings held Darnold out of the game. Darnold was expected to face competition from first-round pick McCarthy until McCarthy’s injury.
Hurts’ absence from the preseason games has been a topic of discussion in Philadelphia, especially with new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore now calling the plays. The Eagles replaced both coordinators after last season’s late collapse.
When asked why Hurts didn’t play, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said, “I felt like we got enough work (in practice) to be ready.”
Kenny Pickett, the Eagles’ No. 2 quarterback, completed 6 of 9 passes for 58 yards while playing the first half. No. 3 QB Tanner McKee did not lead Philadelphia to any scoring drives while playing into the fourth quarter.
Philadelphia is working to recover after losing five of its last six games in 2023 and then being defeated 32-9 by Tampa Bay in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
With Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and new running back Saquon Barkley, the Eagles seem to have the offensive talent to aim for another Super Bowl appearance after losing to the Chiefs in the championship game following the 2022 season.
Brown, Smith, and Barkley were in street clothes along with the other starters on a pleasant, 82-degree day. Also not playing was Jahan Dotson, the wide receiver acquired from Washington in a trade on Thursday.
Dotson is a former first-round pick with 1,041 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns over two seasons.
Jalen Hall warms up before the game
“I’ve never been on a team with this much talent,” Dotson said. “I’m really excited for the opportunity.”
New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, with his experience and an improved secondary, is expected to boost Philadelphia’s defense, which allowed 425 completed passes last season.
Only the Vikings (426) allowed more in 2023. However, Fangio’s second- and third-stringers couldn’t stop the Vikings on Saturday.
Fangio got a good look at cornerback Cooper DeJean. This rookie second-round pick played into the second half after missing much of training camp and the first two preseason games due to a hamstring injury.
DeJean was penalized for illegal contact early in the first quarter, which nullified a Philadelphia interception. He also had some strong moments, defending a possible touchdown pass and making a good tackle.
“It was good to get him out there playing meaningful snaps,” Sirianni said. “We’re excited about his potential.”
