Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Adriana Leon, Wave keep rolling, rout Courage
Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Adriana Leon scored two goals and the San Diego Wave extended their unbeaten streak to six games with a 5-2 victory on Sunday over the visiting North Carolina Courage.

Perle Morroni, Kristen McNabb and Maria Sanchez also scored goals as the Wave (6-2-2, 20 points) moved into sole possession of second place. Kailen Sheridan made two saves for San Diego.

Feli Rauch and Manaka Matsukubo each scored a goal for the Courage (3-4-3, 12 points), who saw their four-game unbeaten streak come to an end. Casey Murphy made two saves for North Carolina.

McNabb scored from just inside the right post in the 54th minute to give San Diego the lead for good at 3-2 after Trinity Armstrong sent a looping header to the right post.

Leon's second score of the game, for a 4-2 lead, came in the 60th minute from the top of the penalty area just as she absorbed a collision with Murphy. Sanchez added a goal in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time.

The Courage opened by taking a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute when Matsukubo delivered a cross from the right side to Rauch, who scored on a diving header.

The Wave pulled even in the 25th minute when Delphine Cascarino sent a cross through traffic with Morroni scoring her first NWSL goal from just inside the penalty spot.

San Diego took a 2-1 in the 40th minute when Gia Corley forced a turnover just outside the North Carolina penalty area and Leon pounced on the loose ball to score from 10 yards.

The Courage tied it 2-2 in the 51st minute when Matsukubo fired a left-footed shot from inside the penalty into traffic and pounced on the rebound to score with her right foot.

This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Tale of The Tape, Predictions: Louisville vs. Cincinnati
General Sports

Tale of The Tape, Predictions: Louisville vs. Cincinnati

Louisville (4-0, 0-0 ACC) is set to face Cincinnati (4-0, 0-0 Big 12) on Friday, Nov. 21 at 6:30 p.m. EST at the Heritage Bank Center. Here's how the Cardinals stack up against the Bearcats: *Mobile users can scroll left and right on the tables below* Rankings Team Leaders Scoring Rebounding Defense Ball Handling Predictions - ESPN Prediction: Per ESPN's Basketball Power Index, Louisville has an 82.6 percent chance to win against Cincinnati. Louisville has a BPI rating of 20.9 (4th overall), whereas Cincinnati has a BPI rating of 11.7 (50th overall). - KenPom Prediction: Per KenPom.com, the Cardinals have a 68 percent chance to take down the Bearcats, with a projected final score of 83-78 in favor of UofL. Louisville has an adjusted efficiency margin of +26.30 (10th overall), whereas Cincinnati has an adjusted efficiency margin of +17.05 (42nd overall). - Torvik Prediction: Per BartTorvik.com, the Cards have a 72 percent chance to take down the Bearcats, with a projected final score of 83-76 in favor of UofL. Louisville has a "Barthag" of .9352 (6th overall), whereas Cincinnati has a "Barthag" of .8518 (41st overall). - Personal Prediction: Louisville 88, Cincinnati 79.

New Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez reveals interesting health update after Orioles trade
MLB

New Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez reveals interesting health update after Orioles trade

Acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles, new Los Angeles Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez believes there is a big reason why he is ready to put his injury history behind him in Anaheim. Just three days after turning 26 years old, Rodriguez is now a member of the Angels after a one-for-one trade that sent outfielder Taylor Ward to Baltimore. He is also hoping that a new location means an end to injuries that have limited him to 43 starts over the past three seasons. That includes zero starts and innings in 2025 because of an elbow issue in spring training, followed by a right lateral strain in April. More elbow problems popped up for Rodriguez in July before he underwent debridement surgery on his elbow in August, officially ending his season. That surgery, however, is, Rodriguez believes, the key to his return to the mound in 2026 as well as his ability to stay on it. Angels' Grayson Rodriguez said bone spurs have been an issue for a long time In a Zoom meeting with Angels reporters on Wednesday, Rodriguez said the bone spurs that were removed had been a problem for years. "That was something that's kind of lingered with me for about three or four years now," Rodriguez said. "I've had them for a while and kind of just got to the point where I couldn't really pitch through it. Pretty sure that's kind of what was causing some of the lat injuries." If that's the case, it could unlock a pitcher who has logged a 4.11 ERA in 238.2 innings over those 43 starts. He has also registered 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings while issuing just 2.9 walks. Getting those kinds of numbers would be a big boost for an Angels rotation that finished 28th out of MLB's 30 teams last season in ERA at 4.91. It would also represent a missed opportunity for an Orioles team that has stated it is looking for another front-line starter. Rodriguez said on Wednesday he would be ready for spring training, giving hope to the Angels that they have found a pitcher who can be a long-term answer for them on the mound. Rodriguez is not scheduled to be a free agent until the 2030 season. If Rodriguez can stay healthy and produce in Anaheim, it would be a gut punch for an Orioles team that is looking to get back into the postseason conversation in 2026. However, time will tell if those bone spurs are truly the answer to Rodriguez staying healthy and on the field.

Steve Spurrier has two endorsements for next Florida HC
College Football

Steve Spurrier has two endorsements for next Florida HC

Steve Spurrier is a legend for the Florida Gators. Known as "the head ball coach" down in SEC-land, Spurrier was a star both as a player and as a coach for Florida. Heck, the dang field in Gainesville is named after him. That means what he says about the Florida program carries a lot of weight, and he recently revealed that he believes there are only two people who would live up to the expectations and be a great fit for the Gators as they look to replace fired head coach Billy Napier sooner rather than later. “I know Lane Kiffin and I know Eli Drinkwitz,” Spurrier recently said, according to Daniel Hager of On3. “Obviously, either one of those guys would be super if it works out. But, it’s a long way from whoever we’re going to get as our coach right now.” The Gators are currently making a full-court press for Lane Kiffin, but they're not alone in their pursuit of the Ole Miss head coach. While the Gators reportedly flew members of Kiffin's family down to Gainesville to check things out recently, the LSU Tigers also pulled the same trick — hoping to get Kiffin to ultimately come down to Baton Rouge. LSU is probably Florida's biggest competitor for Kiffin right now, but there's also Ole Miss to consider. It's not like the Rebels are going to let a coach who has led them to a 54-19 record over the past six seasons go without a fight. Kiffin would absolutely be a home-run hire for the Gators, though. He's a high-level recruiter and a high-level offensive mind in the SEC. Those are two things that the Gators desperately need in the wake of the middling Napier era. Not only that, but Kiffin has ties to the state. He was the head coach at Florida Atlantic from 2017-19. Eli Drinkwitz an interesting option for Florida if it can't land Lane Kiffin Drinkwitz is another interesting option, though. You'll also notice that there's a trend here for Florida, and that's going after established SEC head coaches. Napier had come from the Sun Belt conference. Drinkwitz has made Missouri a tough out in the SEC, and he's won a ton of football games. His overall record at Mizzou is 45-27, though his record in big games does leave a little to be desired. He's 7-14 against ranked opponents and 0-7 against top-10 teams. Still, Drinkwitz is a young coach at just 42, so the upside is there. He's a big personality who does well on the recruiting trail, and he could do a lot of good things with the firepower of the Florida Gators behind him. There are other options out there for Florida. Washington head coach Jedd Fisch is a Florida alumnus, for instance. If Spurrier has narrowed it down to Kiffin and Drinkwitz in his mind, though, you can bet those in power at Florida are likely thinking the same thing.

Texas HC Steve Sarkisian gives bold claim on job rumors
College Football

Texas HC Steve Sarkisian gives bold claim on job rumors

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has been a popular name in both the NFL and college football coaching cycles. It makes sense, too. He's brought Texas back to being competitive and in the championship hunt, but he also has a wealth of great experience as an assistant in both college and the NFL. He's about as well-rounded a candidate as you'll find, so of course, programs like the Florida Gators, LSU Tigers or even the New York Giants may be interested to see if he's interested. The thing is, though, he's not. Or, at the very least, that's what he's telling the media. He's all-in with the Longhorns, according to comments he made on a recent SEC teleconference call. “I’d like to comment something before I get into our team that has been bothering me now over the past few weeks. That is people reporting that are insinuating that there’s a possibility I could leave the University of Texas, and that is absolutely false and untrue," Sarkisian said (h/t On3). "I’m not going anywhere. Never do I do this because I never want to be a distraction, so I never address these things. At this point, I feel like this is important that I do this because it’s important for our team. It’s important for our university." Steve Sarkisian has deep roots in Austin and is all-in with Texas As if that weren't clear enough, Sarkisian said that he has not had any discussions with anybody about coaching elsewhere. He even went as far as to say that even his agent hasn't spoken to anyone. Sometimes coaches can say publicly that they aren't talking about any opportunities while, in the meantime, their agents are working backchannels and putting something together. He could be lying, of course, because college football history is full of head coaches saying one thing and doing another. A full-throated statement like this seems to be a pretty clear indication that Sarkisian is serious about what he's saying, though. Heck, he went as far as calling Austin home, which is a pretty big deal for a coach to say. Those guys aren't used to staying in one place for too long. With that said, Sarkisian does have two kids actually enrolled at Texas, one on the football team. He has a third kid he wants to go to Texas in the near future. He also just had a baby. Sarkisian has roots in Austin. He also has high aspirations for the Longhorns. “We came here to win championships," he said. "We’ve built a damn good football program over the five years that we’ve been here. We’ve been to two College Football Playoffs. We won a Big 12 Championship. We went to the SEC Championship game in Year 1. We’ve had 23 players drafted the last two years, which is more than any other school in the country and our team GPA is at an all-time high. “Can we please stop putting things out there that you have absolutely zero evidence on? Can we please stop retweeting and putting it back out there as if it’s true? As if it’s the gospel? It is not true."

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!