Patrick Agyemang scored the equalizer in the 84th minute as visiting Charlotte FC rallied for a 1-1 tie to end the Columbus Crew's five-match winning streak on Wednesday.
Charlotte (10-8-6, 36 points) had been outplayed for the entire match, not registering a shot in goal until the second half but took advantage of poor defending after Cucho Hernandez had given the Crew (12-3-7, 43 points) the lead in the 31st minute.
Crew goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen came outside the box to grab a loose ball but it got around him and Agyemang, who returned after a one-match suspension, got off a shot that was blocked by Crew defender Rudy Camacho. But as Hagen scrambled to cover, Agyemang put in the rebound.
Hagen made his first MLS start because Patrick Schulte, who had three shutouts in the past four matches and seven for the season, is with the U.S. Olympic team.
The 27-year-old Guatemalan national team player had one appearance this season -- 55 scoreless minutes in relief of the injured Evan Bush at Real Salt Lake on April 13.
There was about a 35-minute weather delay before the start of the second half.
Charlotte was coming off a 3-1 win Saturday at FC Cincinnati -- the leader in the Supporters' Shield standings at the time.
In the first meeting vs. the Crew on March 23, Charlotte scored twice in the final seven minutes against the 10-man Crew to win 2-1. Agyeman scored the second goal in the 88th minute.
The Crew had outscored opponents 20-2 during the winning streak but Kristijan Kahlina, the MLS shutout leader with nine, made eight saves. Hagen had four.
Hernandez scored his 13th goal (and ninth in the past eight matches) on an unforced giveaway by Adilson Malanda. Hernandez gladly took the gift at the arc and after several dribbles laced a shot.
The Crew had two chances increase the lead early in the second half but Diego Rossi hit the post and Christian Ramirez sent a back-post header a just wide in the 66th.
Those proved to be big misses.
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Turkish side Galatasaray are preparing an official offer to sign Leandro Trossard from Arsenal, viewing the 30-year-old Belgian as a direct replacement for Barış Alper Yılmaz, who is poised to leave this summer. With Yılmaz’s potential exit creating a void in attack, Galatasaray are positioning themselves to act decisively in the transfer market, according to Just Arsenal Sources. Arsenal are said to be asking for around £20 million to release Trossard, who remains under contract until 2026. Estimated at a market value of around €22 million, this fee is seen as attractive by rival suitors. While Trossard is not actively pushing for a departure, he reportedly had frustrations over inconsistent playing time last season. Despite being the Arsenal player with the most appearances, he was not always guaranteed a starting place, leading to some dissatisfaction. Nonetheless, he remains broadly content, which means any move would need to present both a serious project and compelling financial terms. Brentford and Dortmund among the challengers Brentford are reportedly in the race and have earmarked Trossard as the ideal successor to winger Yoane Wissa, who wants to join Newcastle. Brentford are ready to tempt him with a three-year contract, perhaps offering the stability he may now seek. Borussia Dortmund also retain interest in the Belgian forward, continuing their monitoring as Arsenal weigh up their attacking options. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are turning their gaze toward Trossard should their pursuit of Liverpool’s Luis Díaz fail. Trossard is now seen as a pragmatic and experienced alternative, especially as he recently changed agents to a German representative, potentially easing a move to the Bundesliga. Galatasaray’s Champions League lure Arsenal have also been linked with Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze, with a move contingent on offloading players like Trossard to free both funds and squad space. Should stronger bids emerge, especially from the likes of Galatasaray who can offer Champions League football and a clear leading role, Arsenal may well reconsider their reluctance to let Trossard go. There is also interest from Europe and Saudi Arabia, adding variety to the mix, though specific clubs have not been confirmed. In contrast to many loanees or fringe players, Trossard has the potential to deliver immediately, making him a highly sought-after asset should he become available. Your thoughts welcome in the comments. __________________________________________________________________________________________
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss is supposed to remain in charge of the team for years even after the sale. Given what just happened with the Boston Celtics, it might only be months. When the Grousbeck family sold the Celtics for $6.1B in March, ESPN reported that Wyc Grousbeck would stay on as the Celtics CEO and governor through the 2027-28 season. Now, new owner Bill Chisholm will take over once the sale is final. That should concern current Lakers team governor Jeanie Buss, whose family sold a majority interest in the Los Angeles Lakers to investor Mark Walter. Buss is supposed to stay on as team governor for "at least a number of years," according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, but new NBA owners haven't been keen on waiting to take control of teams recently. Mark Cuban thought he would continue running the Dallas Mavericks when he sold a controlling interest to the Adelson family in November 2023. Before the end of that season, when Dallas advanced to the NBA Finals, new team governor Patrick Dumont, the son-in-law of Miriam Adelson, was firmly in charge. General manager Nico Harrison reported directly to Dumont, which is how Luka Doncic ended up traded to the Lakers despite Cuban's objections. It might be different with the Lakers. Walter has owned a minority share in the Lakers since 2021, so he's had a working relationship with Buss. Her role as team governor may be a condition of the sale itself. With the team preparing for a long-term future with Doncic, Walter and his fellow owners might opt for continuity in the team governor role. But in general, people do not spend billions of dollars on a professional sports team so that someone else can be in charge. Buss is in charge of the Lakers now. Recent history says she won't be for long.
It is no secret that NASCAR's current road-course package has not been very good. Aside from the mile-and-a-half tracks that were once the least competitive and exciting in the series, those races are the rare bright spot for the Next Gen Car since its inception in 2022. Shane van Gisbergen drove away to an 11.1-second win over Christopher Bell in Sunday's race at Watkins Glen and set multiple records in the process. While the racing was not particularly exciting, that was not what left former crew chief and current analyst Steve Letarte frustrated the most following the weekend. A recurring issue in each race over the weekend was drivers utilizing the runoff areas around the track and not staying on the traditional racing surface, which ultimately led to some crashes in Saturday's Xfinity race. "So, I hate track limits that have to be officiated," Letarte said on "Inside the Race." "Because I like tracks that you should just stay on the track. I didn't think it mattered. Now, I am team get-them-back-on-the-race-track-at-Watkins-Glen. I don't love the Watkins Glen that I see. ... I think Turn 1 is not as great of a corner with no exit respect or responsibility. You just blow the exit. I think the carousel is a much easier corner, being able to just go driver's left. "I also think Turn 6 is going — let me add, that I think the (Connor) Zilisch, SVG wreck between the last two corners (in the Xfinity Series race) happened because they left the track, and the Austin Hill wreck with Michael McDowell happened off the race track. Now, both could have been avoided, we can talk about who's at fault. What I'm saying is, I've never driven a lap at Watkins Glen. I can analyze what happens between the white lines." This comes one year after rumble strips were placed in Turn 1 to keep drivers from using the runoff area, and that clearly has not worked. As the field has got closer together, using up all the track has become a common way for drivers to establish momentum, especially as they prepare for the right-hander going into The Esses at Watkins Glen. The bottom line is NASCAR's road-racing product needs to get better and Letarte wants to see race cars "stay on the race track because I think it will be a better race." Van Gisbergen's historic dominance certainly does not help, but the overall road course product is not great. Whether NASCAR makes some changes to the runoff areas and enforces track limits remains to be seen, but that still may not be the biggest issue if the racing does not improve.
The Pittsburgh Steelers played their first preseason game of 2025 on Saturday, and the organization was able to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 31-25. The offense looked surprisingly good in the game, although it was mostly backups playing in the contest outside of the offensive line. The passing game was efficient, and both Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson looked good in the game. Logan Woodside came in at the end, but he didn't attempt a pass. The offensive player of the night was certainly Thompson, who was the fourth quarterback on the depth chart before Will Howard got hurt. Thompson is certainly on the outside looking in when it comes to the final roster, but his impressive performance during the first week of the preseason likely caught the eyes of some other teams around the NFL. Ben Roethlisberger spoke about the game on the most recent episode of Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger, and he shared that he thinks the quarterback could end up elsewhere. "I don't think the Steelers are going to keep four quarterbacks," Roethlisberger said. "Let's be honest. I think he is playing himself into like a really legit chance for a backup job somewhere on a team. Which is what you want." Thompson is going to need to continue to stack good performances in the preseason, and if he does, the Steelers may have the chance to trade him before cutting down to the final roster at the end of August. It is known that the top two quarterbacks on the roster are Aaron Rodgers and Rudolph, with Howard being right behind them. Thompson will likely end up elsewhere, it just depends on how that comes about. Other teams across the league probably know that the Steelers do not have the intention to keep Thompson around for the regular season, and that could make navigating a potential trade difficult. However, if there are multiple teams that are going to be interested in Thompson's services, one might be willing to trade a Day 3 draft pick in order to get him. The Steelers would not get much in any deal surrounding Thompson, but an additional sixth or seventh round pick for the 2026 NFL Draft would not hurt. No organization would trade for Thompson based off just one good preseason performance, especially with how the rest of the quarterback's career has gone when he was with the Miami Dolphins. He has struggled when he has been asked to start in games, but maybe he has turned over a new leaf that might make him valuable as the top backup for another organization. Another strong performance or two should definitely put him on the radar of quarterback-needy teams. Steelers' Skylar Thompson Could Have A Few Potential Destinations When looking around the league and trying to figure out what teams might be interested in bringing in Thompson, it is hard to ignore a team like the New Orleans Saints. The entire quarterback room in New Orleans has limited experience with Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener barely ever seeing the field. Rookie Tyler Shough is an interesting prospect, but there is no telling how he will play. The Saints may want to consider Thompson, at the very least to bring in someone who has legitimate playing experience. Another team to consider would be Thompson's former team, the Dolphins. Tua Tagovailoa has struggled with injuries, and neither Zach Wilson or Quinn Ewers looked great in the team's first preseason game. A reunion could be in play as Thompson has a handle on the offensive system and has a decent amount of game experience playing in Miami. Another option is the New York Jets, as Tyrod Taylor is going through an injury and the rest of the room has a lot of question marks.
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