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World Cup 2026: Why VAR overturned the offside call ahead of Alex Freeman's goal for the United States

Alex Freeman's first World Cup goal took a video review to be counted. Freeman gave the United States a 2-0 lead over Australia in the first half after he headed home a deflected shot from Sergiño Dest. However, the offside flag was immediately raised by one of the assistant referees. But the U.S. had some help from the semi-automated technology that reviews every single goal and consequential offside call at the World Cup. By utilizing a series of cameras mounted around every stadium, officials in the video replay center can better determine if a player is onside or offside. After a brief delay for that review, Freeman was deemed to be onside and the goal was given. If you're new to soccer, two opposing players had to be between Freeman and the goal when Dest kicked the ball. The deflection did not have anything to do with the timing of any offside call. When Dest kicked the ball, Antonee Robinson on the bottom right of the video below and Folarin Balogun were both offside. H...

Wings broadcaster tells Caitlin Clark's critics to 'get off her case' on rough shooting night

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Wings broadcaster tells Caitlin Clark's critics to 'get off her case' on rough shooting night originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Caitlin Clark faces intense scrutiny this season, mostly from critics who expect higher production. During a recent rough stretch, her shooting percentages dropped to 25%, 14.3%, 35.3%, and 28.6% over four consecutive games. Even though she is considered the Indiana Fever 's phenom, this slump led to endless online speculation that opposing teams had likely figured her out. She currently averages 4.5 turnovers per game and shoots 32.4% from three-point range.  Due to such struggles, she dropped from No. 4 to outside the top 10 in Bleacher Report’s player rankings, while critics labeled her a defensive liability who had lost her confidence. She answered that criticism on Tuesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Clark recorded 21 points and 14 assists to l...

Predators hire Jamie Langenbrunner as special assistant to GM Chris MacFarland

The Nashville Predators have hired Jamie Langenbrunner as special assistant to the general manager, the team announced on June 17. Langenbrunner, who has been with the Boston Bruins in various front office roles since 2015, will step in to assist general manager Chris MacFarland with professional scouting, collegiate free-agent scouting and recruiting, and special assignments. "(Langenbrunner) will assist in many areas across the hockey operations department as we work toward our goal of building a championship caliber management team," MacFarland said in a release. Langenbrunner, 50, played 18 years in the NHL for the New Jersey Devils, Dallas Stars , and St. Louis Blues . A bruising right-winger, he finished with 663 points and 837 penalty minutes in 1,109 games. He won two Stanley Cups, one with the Stars (1999) and one with the Devils (2003). After retiring in 2014, he joined the Bruins as a development coach in 2015. He was promoted to director of player development i...

Titans fans grade the offseason

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Tennessee Titans first round draft pick Carnell Tate, right, fields questions from the media with Mike Borgonzi, general manager, at Vanderbilt Health Football Center Friday, April 24, 2026. | DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Last week, I asked you to grade the Tennessee Titans’ offseason. Mike Borgonzi will be happy to see that 91% of you gave him at least a B for his work since last season ended: You can see that the majority (60%) went with a B. That grade makes sense to me. I really like the coaching staff they have assembled. Pairing Brian Daboll with Robert Saleh was an excellent move for Borgonzi and the franchise. There are still a lot of questions that Saleh has to answer after the disaster with the New York Jets, but he has said all of the right things to this point. Grabbing Carnell Tate with the 4th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft was a bit of a surprise. It was a slight reach on most people’s boards, but Tate has reportedly been really good...

Is Seahawks star JSN a lock to make NFL Top 100 Players of 2026 list?

Was Seattle Seahawks star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba named to the NFL Top 100 list last season? The answer is no, shockingly. Smith-Njigba was not named to the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025 list, voted on by players around the league, after recording his first 1,000-yard season in 2024. He went for 1,130 REC yards and six REC touchdowns that year but was not recognized by his peers as being among the best of the best in the league. According to NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks, Smith-Njigba is one of seven players with a great chance to be named to this year’s Top 100 Players list after his historic season in 2025. “The 2025 Offensive Player of the Year swiped the crown from Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase as the NFL’s WR1,” Brooks said. “JSN led the league in receiving yards (1,793), while seamlessly transitioning from doing most of his work in the slot to playing outside for the vast majority of his third season.”  Smith-Njigba was a first-team All-Pro honoree in 2026, and helped the ...

Will Neymar play against Haiti? Brazilian media provides latest update

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Photo by Mauro PIMENTEL / AFP via Getty Images Brazil’s World Cup campaign did not get off to the start Carlo Ancelotti would have hoped for. The 1-1 draw with Morocco raised questions, with Brazil looking far from the side their talent suggests they should be. Vinicius Junior grabbed the equaliser, but the team struggled for cohesion, control and attacking sharpness against an organised Morocco. Neymar’s absence was always going to be a talking point, and the performance only brought his name back into focus. Many still see him as the one player capable of unlocking Brazil’s full attacking potential, and with his return to training now on the horizon, Ancelotti could soon face a big decision. Neymar set to rejoin Brazil training ahead of Haiti fixture Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images According to Brazilian outlet O Globo, Neymar is scheduled to return to training with the squad on Monday. The 34-year-old missed the opener due to a calf injury and has not trained with the team ...

Aiemann Zahabi ‘not worried’ about Sean O’Malley’s striking, welcomes standup duel at UFC White House

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MONTREAL, QUEBEC - MAY 10: Aiemann Zahabi of Canada (L) fights Jose Aldo of Brazil in a bantamweight bout during UFC 315 at Bell Centre on May 10, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) | Getty Images Aiemann Zahabi has risen through the ranks with his toughness and versatility, but if Sean O’Malley wants to stand and bang at the White House, so be it. The bantamweights are set to throw down Sunday at UFC White House, with Zahabi having the chance to add the former champion to his hit list and secure his eighth straight victory. By his own admission, Zahabi has clown under the radar at times, but coming off of wins over Marlon Vera and Jose Aldo, the Canadian contender knows the time for shying away from the spotlight is over. Zahabi was part of a recent press conference for the historic event and he was pleasantly surprised to be asked a question while O’Malley was mostly left to sit in silence. “I felt cool,” Zahabi told MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck. “I w...