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Ramiro Enrique scored his first playoff goal six minutes before halftime and Orlando City set a new franchise high-water mark with a 1-0 victory over visiting Atlanta United in Sunday's Eastern Conference semifinal.
With a shutout of ninth-seeded Atlanta — which won both these teams' regular-season meetings — No. 4 seed Orlando reached its first conference final since the club began MLS play in 2015.
The Lions will host the seventh-seeded New York Red Bulls, who defeated New York City FC in Saturday's East semifinal.
Pedro Gallese kept his third clean sheet of the postseason, this time without having to make a single save against an Atlanta side that had scored eight goals in its first four playoff matches.
Atlanta's season ends with the club's best postseason finish since reaching the 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals.
Atlanta midfielder Dax McCarty played his final MLS game, finishing a career that began in 2006 with 488 league appearances and 35 more in the postseason.
The visitors won back-to-back matches just to qualify for the playoffs, then pulled off one of the biggest MLS Cup playoff upsets of all time in a three-game series triumph over Lionel Messi and Supporters' Shield winners Inter Miami in Round 1.
But Orlando was the superior side throughout the first half Sunday and took a deserved lead through a set piece, an area that has given Atlanta trouble this season.
Enrique helped create the corner kick when he pressured goalkeeper Brad Guzan into spilling the ball over his own endline when trying to catch a high cross.
Martin Ojeda's ensuing outswinger dropped to the turf after deflecting off at least one body in the box, and Enrique was first to the loose ball to poke home a finish past Guzan from close range.
Interim Atlanta manager Rob Valentino removed injured striker Jamal Thiare — who scored twice in the Game 3 win over Miami — moments after Orlando's goal. His replacement Daniel Rios then also had to exit after taking a ball to the head early in the second half.
The attackers that remained had more opportunities in the second half than the first, but rarely made Gallese work.
More must-reads:
- Galaxy blast Minnesota, advance to West finals
- New York Red Bulls beat NYCFC to book spot in MLS Eastern Conference Final
- The '2023 NFL AP second-team All-Pro' quiz
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PSG vs Tottenham Hotspur Confirmed Lineups for August 13
These are the confirmed lineups for PSG vs Tottenham in the UEFA Super Cup final. The Champions League winners take on the Europa League winners in this annual showcase. Europa Conference League winners Chelsea aren’t involved but they did defeat Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the Club World Cup just a few months ago. Let’s see how these teams set up as one rebounds from defeat while the other gets a first competitive look at their new coach. PSG vs Tottenham Hotspur Confirmed Lineups for UEFA Super Cup PSG Team News Lucas Chevalier starts in goal for his competitive debut. Nuno Mendes, Marquinhos, Pacho, and Achraf Hakimi are the back four. The midfield trio sees Warren Zaire-Emery and Bradley Barcola alongside Vitinha. Up front is the expected collection of Ousmane Dembele, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Desire Doue. Notable Changes The obvious big change is between the sticks with Gianluigi Donnarumma being left out of the squad to make way for new signing Chevalier. The majority of the lineup is as expected, except for the midfield three with Barcola coming in for Fabian Ruiz. Joao Neves was suspended anyway and was replaced by a natural midfielder in Zaire-Emery. How Barcola fits in will be interesting. Tottenham Hotspur Team News Guglielmo Vicario starts with a back line of Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Kalvin Danso, Djed Spence and Micky Van de Ven. Joao Palhinha is in midfield with Rodrigo Bentacur and Pape Matar Sarr. Richarlison is supported by Mohammed Kudus up front. Paris Saint-Germain Squad Achraf Hakimi Lucas Beraldo Marquinhos Kvicha Kvaratskhelia Fabian Ruiz Goncalo Ramos Ousmane Dembele Desire Doue Vitinha Lee Kang-In Lucas Hernandez Nuno Mendes Bradley Barcola Lucas Chevalier Warren Zaire-Emery Matvey Safonov Noham Kamara Ibrahim Mbaye Willian Pacho Renato Marin Tottenham Hotspur Squad Guglielmo Vicario Antonin Kinsky Brandon Austin Pedro Porro Djed Spence Cristian Romero Micky van de Ven Kevin Danso Destiny Udogie Ben Davies Joao Palhinha Yves Bissouma Archie Gray Rodrigo Bentacur Lucas Bergvall Pape Matar Sarr Mohammed Kudus Brennan Johnson Wilson Odobert Mathys Tel Richarlison Dom Solanke (Squad Details Source) Stay tuned for the PSG vs Tottenham Hotspur confirmed lineups. There will be news as well as discussions on who started, who missed out, and what tactical changes the managers could make.
Paul Skenes' recent struggles open door for Phillies aces in NL Cy Young race
Unlike the American League Cy Young race, which is quickly looking like Tarik Skubal's to lose, the National League Cy Young race has started to heat up in recent weeks. Paul Skenes has been sensational in what has otherwise been another miserable season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although the Bucs sit in a distant last place in the NL Central with a 51-70 record, they've been a must-watch whenever their ace is on the mound, and it's easy to see why. Through his first 22 starts of the season, the former LSU star boasted a 1.83 ERA, rarely giving up more than one run an outing. Had Skenes managed to maintain this number, he would've had the lowest ERA of any qualified starter since Justin Verlander's 1.74 ERA in 2022 with the Houston Astros, easily capturing his first Cy Young without much contest. However, a pair of recent underwhelming performances from the All-Star right-hander have suddenly cast doubt on his status as the favorite. While Skenes did sandwich an outing featuring six shutout innings between his two duds, the 23-year-old hurt his Cy Young odds after allowing four runs to the Colorado Rockies and Milwaukee Brewers, respectively. As a result, his ERA rose to 2.13, a minuscule, but non-historical number. To Skenes' credit, these weren't necessarily the easiest situations to perform in. The Rockies play in the MLB's most hitter-friendly park, Coors Field, and can manufacture runs at times on their home field. Meanwhile, the Brewers remain the hottest team in baseball after knocking off Skenes for their 11th-straight victory on Tuesday. But a Cy Young favorite needs to find a way to succeed, even in uncomfortable spots. While these two subpar showings won't necessarily make or break Skenes' Cy Young case, they certainly won't help, especially with a pair of Philadelphia Phillies aces breathing down his neck. Both Zack Wheeler and Christopher Sanchez are heavily in the mix for different reasons. Wheeler, a two-time Cy Young runner-up, has always been a threat for the award since joining the Phillies in December 2019, thanks to his durability and incredible strikeout numbers. That said, the 35-year-old has allowed 15 runs in his last 28.1 innings, hurting his ERA in the process. But what Wheeler has over Skenes and the rest of the competition is his NL-leading WHIP (0.926) and strikeouts (189). Currently, Wheeler has 20 more Ks than the next leader, San Diego Padres' Dylan Cease. Sanchez is easily the most unexpected name in the race, but after two seasons of above-average pitching, he has officially broken out. The southpaw trails both Skenes (166) and Wheeler in strikeouts; Sanchez's 151 are nothing to balk at. For him to win the award, though, voters will have to look at his entire body of work. The 28-year-old currently leads the NL in bWAR (6.0) thanks to his well-rounded contributions. Sporting an impressive 2.36 ERA and 1.07 WHIP, it's hard to say who's been the better Phillies starter this season. If Sanchez continues to consistently mow down lineups as he has over the last two months, he could become one of the more surprising Cy Young winners in recent memory. For now, Skenes' season-long heroics still have him positioned as the favorite to claim the prestigious accolade. With the way both Wheeler and Sanchez have dealt all year, though, it won't take many more bumps ahead for Skenes' odds to plummet.
How former Jets WR knew Aaron Glenn would release Aaron Rodgers
In January, former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson guaranteed that his ex-teammate, first-year New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, would not "start off his career with Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback in September." Johnson was right, as a new-look Jets regime led by Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey decided in February that Rodgers would be leaving the club after two underwhelming seasons. For a piece published on Wednesday, Johnson spoke with The Athletic's Ian O'Connor about his accurate prediction. "I’m the first person to ever say Aaron Rodgers was not going to be on this year’s team," Johnson explained. "I didn’t get it from anybody; I just knew from looking at all the coaches Aaron Glenn has learned from: Bill Parcells. Bill Belichick. Sean Payton. Dan Campbell. I knew how they would deal with Aaron Rodgers, so I knew how AG would deal with him. AG is his own man, and he doesn’t stand for any nonsense." Before Johnson made his initial guarantee, Parcells and New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees mentioned that Glenn "doesn’t [mess] around" and will be "a leader of men." It remains somewhat unclear if the "nonsense" referenced by Johnson has anything to do with Rodgers' weekly in-season appearances on "The Pat McAfee Show." In June 2024, Rodgers skipped the Jets' two-day mandatory minicamp because of a pre-planned trip to Egypt. He subsequently won just five of 17 starts coming off the season-ending torn Achilles tendon he suffered in September 2023. Johnson's comments indicate the Jets wouldn't have tolerated Rodgers remaining an unsigned free agent through early June as he dealt with undisclosed personal matters. Rodgers ultimately signed a team-friendly contract to join the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of their three-day mandatory minicamp, and he seems to be quite popular among his new teammates. Meanwhile, Jets players have embraced Glenn holding more "physical" practices during training camp after former head coach Robert Saleh went 20-36 as Gang Green head coach before he was fired last fall. "Aaron Glenn is going to get in people’s ear and tell them what time it is, and that’s who he was as a player," Johnson added. "There are so many bulls----ers in this business, and he isn’t one of them. I haven’t been to a Jets game since they traded me (in 2000), and the only reason I’m going to the Jets-Giants preseason game is Aaron Glenn." The Giants will represent the home team on Saturday against the Jets at MetLife Stadium. In March, the Jets took a flier on 26-year-old quarterback Justin Fields when they signed him to a two-year, $40M contract that included $30M guaranteed. They can escape that deal as soon as next offseason, but it sounds like Glenn would rather start from scratch in 2026 than put up with Rodgers for a single campaign.
Mike Tomlin Makes Massive Statement on Steelers Defense
The Pittsburgh Steelers have consistently been inconsistent when it comes to their offensive core. Since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement following the 2021 season, the Steelers have been unable to find a steady group of guys to contribute on the offensive side of the football for the last four seasons. On the other hand, the defense has been consistent. Though never the top defensive team in the league, the Steelers have been able to consistently perform above average when it comes to stopping the opposing offenses. The Steelers were active in adding to their defense during this offseason, with Darius Slay joining the team whilst Minkah Fitzpatrick was dealt away. Jalen Ramsey joined the Steelers as part of the Fitzpatrick trade, and the team also added talent on the defensive side with their selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. Head coach Mike Tomlin seems to share the excitement that many fans harbor when it comes to the Steelers defense for the coming season. Despite a tough group of opponents, Tomlin believes that the team is capable of doing things not previously done by the Steelers, or any defense in the history of the league for that matter. In an appearance on 102.5 WDVE, Tomlin spoke about the defense and how he sees them playing for the coming season. "We feel really good about the prospects of this group," Tomlin said. "We gotta write that story, but we’ve got enough talent, we’ve got enough schematics to do big, big things. And when I say big things, I’m talking about historic things." It is unclear what Tomlin means exactly by historic, but it could point to their possibility of high sack counts or takeaway numbers as a team. The Steelers currently possess one of the deepest linebacker rooms in the history of the National Football League, but that means little until they prove they can perform for yet another season. It is important to recognize that while the past is a signifier of future performance, all members of the team are a season older and their possible performance is unknown at this point.
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