The San Jose Earthquakes started fast but the Houston Dynamo finished strong and used two second-half scores on Saturday night to notch a 2-1 home victory.
Bruno Wilson scored goal just a minute into the Earthquakes' road test. The marker, a header which came by way of a Cristian Espinoza corner boot and was Wilson's first of his MLS career, and staked San Jose to a lead at the outset.
Sebastían Ferreira and Franco Escobar notched scores during a four-minute span in the second half to boost Houston (3-1-1, 10 points) ahead.
The initial goal came in the 81st minute and the decisive tally came in the 85th.
The Wilson marker was one of only two shots for the Earthquakes (1-5-0, 3 points) in the first half of the contest, as the Dynamo edged San Jose, 8-2, in that department during that duration.
Earthquakes goalkeeper Will Yarbrough made a pair of saves on tries by Houston's Ibrahim Aliyu in the 16th minute, keeping his team ahead. Yarbrough moved to 4-1-4 against the Dynamo with the loss.
Seven minutes after that, San Jose had an opportunity to double its advantage, but Dynamo goalkeeper Steve Clark kept a Preston Judd kick out of the net. Ferreira and Griffin Dorsey both missed the mark for Houston shortly thereafter, and then Aliyu had a shot blocked.
In the 34th minute, Judd was assessed a red card for an offense away from the ball, leaving the Earthquakes with 10 players for the remainder of the match.
Yarbrough pushed aside Erik Sviatchenko's shot in first-half stoppage time.
San Jose's Jackson Yueill was given a red card in the second-half stoppage time. The win was Houston's third in a row, containing a hot streak for the Dynamo after a loss and a draw to begin the calendar.
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Following the selections of tight end Colston Loveland in the first round and wide receiver Luther Buden III in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, it seemed that the idea of Keenan Allen’s return to the Chicago Bears for the upcoming season was dead. Last year, the Bears traded a fourth-round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers for Allen to come to Chicago on the final season of his contract. Allen said he planned to choose between the Bears and a team in Los Angeles during free agency this offseason. The Bears are looking for a wide receiver No team has signed the veteran receiver. Allen is coming off a season where he recorded 70 receptions for 744 yards and seven touchdowns. The Bears signaled they’re not done looking for wide receiver help before training camp practice begins on Wednesday. On Monday, reports surfaced that Chicago visited with former Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver DJ Chark. Chark met with the Bears NFL.com's Christian Gonzales suggested that Chark could be available for the Chargers after Mike Williams announced his retirement from the league last week. “There is an opening for Chark to pursue a possible reunion with the Chargers after veteran wide receiver Mike Williams informed the team this week that he is retiring from the NFL," wrote Gonzales. “Only time will tell if Chark gets a call from the Bolts or another team in search of a crafty veteran wideout. If he does, Chark says he’s still staying in shape.” Allen’s name immediately came up as an option for the Chargers when Williams’ announcement became public. If the Chargers decide to give quarterback Justin Herbert a familiar pass catcher by signing Chark, it would make sense for Allen to be in the mix to join the Bears in 2025. After all, the Bears let the league and Allen’s agent know they’re looking for a veteran receiver.
The Phoenix Suns had a busy start to their offseason but since free agency began, they have been very quiet. Of course, the Suns have made multiple moves this offseason to retool their roster around Devin Booker that all started with them sending Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for a package centered around Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the pick they used to select Khaman Maluach. Phoenix also acquired Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets and added Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea in the draft before moving on from Bradly Beal via a contract buyout. The Suns are expected to make more moves this offseason and one player they have recently been linked to is Golden State Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga who they could acquire via a sign-and-trade. With this in mind, Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Caudell and Rohan Raman recently came up with a three-team mock trade that would send Kuminga to the Phoenix Suns. In the trade, the Suns would send Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neal and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to Golden State for Kuminga and Moses Moody. Phoenix would also send Nick Richards to the Atlanta Hawks who would be the third team in this mock trade. For the Suns, adding two more young players in Kuminga and Moody would be beneficial to the future of their franchise and they would also be able to move on from two veterans in O’Neal and Allen who have been in trade rumors since the offseason began. Kuminga would likely have a large role in the Suns’ rotation next season and Moody would be a solid addition to their bench behind Booker and Green. Despite this, the Warriors may be unwilling to move on from both Kuminga and Moody in the same trade without receiving more in return but this trade could be a solid one for the Suns as they try to turn their franchise around.
The Vancouver Canucks have a major need down the middle this season, and according to Rick Dhaliwal, the team remain in contact with the top remaining free agent Jack Roslovic. Free agency in the NHL this off-season came and went fairly quickly, and while most of the big names are off the board, there are still some intriguing names remaining to all 32 teams. Perhaps the biggest of those names is former Carolina Hurricanes centre Jack Roslovic, and according to Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal, he remains in contact with the Vancouver Canucks as training camp approaches. It's unclear just how close the two parties could potentially be getting to a deal, but according to Cam Robinson, the players camp is looking for a multi-year deal with an asking price at just over $3 million per season. Given that the Canucks currently have Aatu Raty slated to play the third line this season, they have a clear need down the middle, and after tallying 22 goals and 39 points a season ago in a similar role with Carolina, he'd be the perfect addition for their middle-six. At 28-years of age with over 500 NHL games under his belt thus far, Roslovic fits the age range for what the Canucks should be seeking as well, and if they're willing to meet his price, there's no reason for a deal not to get done here. Ultimately, Roslovic is the top remaining centre in free agency, so any team out there looking for help could fit him in at 2-3 years for a $3 million salary cap hit, but as of right now, all signs point to him playing a key role with Vancouver in 2025/26.
The Minnesota Vikings have kicked off their training camp as they prepare for the upcoming NFL season with a new quarterback leading the charge. Former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy is set to take the QB mantle after the team parted ways with Sam Darnold despite a 14-3 season. McCarthy is gearing up for his NFL debut and has been practicing with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and others. He addressed the media ahead of the first practice of the 2025 training camp. The 22-year-old was asked about his experience sharing the locker room with veteran center Ryan Kelly. "He's been amazing, one of the most favorite teammates I've ever had," McCarthy said. "Just his knowledge about the game, but who he is as a man. It's really one of a kind. And just the depth of knowledge, how he attacks every single day, how he is as a dad, you know, all the things that I get to learn from him on and off the field. It's a tremendous blessing." Kelly left the Indianapolis Colts in March this year to join the Vikings on a two-year, $18 million contract. The four-time Pro Bowler reads defensive alignments and makes quick protection calls. His football IQ gives him a huge edge over other offensive linemen. The veteran center is a massive upgrade over Garrett Bradbury. Kelly's experience and superior pass protection would give McCarthy a lot of confidence and assurance. His technique and lower-body strength will undoubtedly help him handle bull rushers better. McCarthy and Kelly are the two most prominent new faces on the roster. Darnold was sacked nine times in the Wild Card Round loss against the Los Angeles Rams. The 32-year-old center will have to step up for the Vikings for a deeper run into the postseason. McCarthy was drafted at No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He competed for the QB1 spot until a knee injury sidelined him for his entire rookie season. The youngster tore his right knee meniscus in the preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Vikings' QB was away from action for a long time before he was allowed to practice and access team facilities. The coaching staff tried to make the most out of that period, preparing their long-term asset for the 2025 NFL season.
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