General manager of the year finalist Bill Zito hasn’t heard yet whether he has won the award, but he has plenty of hard work ahead that could determine whether he’s in the running again next year.

The Florida Panthers won their second consecutive Stanley Cup title on June 17, two weeks before NHL free agency opens up on July 1.

That gives Zito little time to work through the team’s list of significant pending unrestricted free agents. Last year, he got an eight-year deal done with Sam Reinhart (for less than $9 million a year) before free agency opened. That paid off when the forward scored seven goals in the Stanley Cup Final, including four goals in the clinching game.

This year’s list includes some key players. According to puckpedia, the Panthers have $19 million in cap space.

Here is what’s awaiting the Panthers and Edmonton Oilers during the offseason:

What’s next for the Florida Panthers?

The biggest free agent is Sam Bennett, 28, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after scoring a league-best 15 goals. He had 51 points in 62 games during the Panthers’ three consecutive runs to the Stanley Cup Final. In addition to his scoring prowess, he plays with an edge and is sometimes accused of going over the line.

Brad Marchand, who came over in a shocking trade from the Boston Bruins, is also a pending UFA. The 37-year-old had six goals during the final, scoring on breakaways and spectacular moves. Panthers teammates and coach Paul Maurice raved about his attitude.

Pending UFA defenseman Aaron Ekblad, 29, has been key to the Panthers through the years since he was taken No. 1 overall in 2014. He’s on the top defense pairing with Gustav Forsling but missed 20 games with a PED suspension and another two for a playoff hit.

Other pending UFAs include Nate Schmidt, Tomas Nosek, Nico Sturm and backup goalie Vitek Vanecek. No. 1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is entering the final year of his contract, as is defenseman Niko Mikkola.

Core players Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, Seth Jones, Forsling and Dmitry Kulikov are signed long-term, and Eetu Luostarinen and Evan Rodrigues have two years left on their contracts.

What’s next for the Edmonton Oilers?

The Oilers fell short for the second year in a row as the Panthers’ forechecking scheme frustrated them again.

They have $11 million in cap space as Leon Draisaitl’s extension kicks in and makes him the NHL’s highest-paid player. Connor McDavid, entering the last year of his contract and a potential free agent at the end of the season, is eligible to sign an extension as early as July 1, which should restore him atop the league’s salary structure. Or he can wait. An extension would take effect in 2026-27.

The Oilers have a long list of pending UFAs, including Connor Brown, 40-year-old Corey Perry, Trent Frederic, Kasperi Kapanen and John Klingberg..

Defenseman Evan Bouchard is a restricted free agent. He’s known for his offensive abilities but also had a playoff-high 41 giveaways.

Goalies Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have one left on their contracts at a combined $3.6 million cap hit. Defensemen Mattias Ekholm, Jake Walman, Brett Kulak and Troy Stecher also have a year left on their deals.

The New York Giants enter the 2025 NFL season with a much different quarterback room than a season ago.

Free agent signees Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson as well as first-round draft pick Jaxson Dart give the franchise plenty of options for a starter entering a crucial season for coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen.

There’s one returning player at quarterback for the franchise: Tommy DeVito. The third-year quarterback started two games last season after earning folk hero status in 2023 with three wins in six starts.

DeVito’s getting to know the new faces at the position and already has a way to bond with the rookie Dart. All it took was the latest season of the reality television series ‘Love Island.’

‘Me and Jaxson might go on ‘Love Island,” DeVito said. ‘We’ve talked about it so we really don’t know what’s about to happen.’

He clarified how often the two watch the show as minicamp wraps up this week in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

‘I can’t say we [watch] it every night,’ DeVito said. ‘But from time to time, if we get an off day, we watch it and talk about it.’

DeVito made his first start as a rookie against the Dallas Cowboys in 2023. New York won three in a row with him at quarterback with victories over the Commanders, Patriots and Packers. He dropped his last two starts to the Saints and Eagles to go 3-3 as a rookie.

In 2024, he lost his two starts against the Buccaneers and Ravens.

The Giants traded up and into Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft to secure Dart. A three-year starter at Ole Miss, Dart led the country in quarterback rating (180.7) and led the SEC in completion percentage (69.3%) and passing yards (4,279).

Schoen and Daboll both say the team plans to bring Dart along slowly to give him time to learn the offense.

‘These NFL offenses are hard to grasp and pick up and then be able to go out and execute,’ Schoen said in May. ‘So the ability for him to learn and sit behind two consummate pros already will be beneficial for him.’

Giants QB depth chart

There’s still time for the hierarchy at quarterback to settle in ahead of the Giants’ Week 1 matchup against the Commanders. Here’s how things look at the end of minicamp:

Russell Wilson
Jameis Winston
Jaxson Dart
Tommy DeVito

Coastal Carolina has punched its ticket to the 2025 College World Series finals.

No. 13 Coastal Carolina picked up an 11-3 victory over Louisville to move to 3-0 in the CWS at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 18.  They advance to the best-of-three-game championship series for the second time in program history.

Coastal Carolina has won 26 consecutive games, which is the longest in the nation. It will play the winner of the LSU-Arkansas semifinal in the championship series. The Chanticleers, which won the 2016 national championship, scored six runs in the first inning, aided by a three-run double by Colby Thorndyke. 

Thorndyke drove in five runs in the win. Walker Mitchell and Dean Mihos each drove in two runs. Riley Eikhoff earned the start, his second of the CWS. He went 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, with four strikeouts and one walk.

Eikhoff had plenty of run support as the Chanticleers scored six runs in the first inning, two in each of the fifth and sixth innings and one in the eighth.

Louisville had beaten No. 8 Oregon State 7-6 on a walk-off in the ninth inning to stave off elimination and earn a spot in the semifinals. However, they could not overcome a big first inning from Coastal Carolina.

Stream Coastal Carolina vs. Louisville baseball live with Fubo (free trial)

USA TODAY Sports brought you live updates, scores and highlights from the game. Check it out.

Coastal Carolina vs Louisville live score

Coastal Carolina vs Louisville live update

Final: Coastal Carolina 11, Louisville 3

Coastal Carolina beats Louisville 11-3 to advance to the College World Series championship. The Chanticleers have won 26 straight games and advance to their second CWS finals. They scored six runs in the first inning and never looked back.

End of eighth inning: Coastal Carolina 11, Louisville 3

Colby Thorndyke single drives in another Coastal Carolina run

Colby Thorndyke singles to drive in Blake Barthol for the 11th run of the game for Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers lead 11-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Louisville makes pitching change in eighth

Louisville sends out pitcher Ty Starke with two outs and a runner on second in the bottom of the eighth inning to replace Peter Michael.

Louisville down to final three outs

Louisville is down to its final three outs after Hayden Johnson records a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the eighth inning.

End of seventh inning: Coastal Carolina 10, Louisville 3

End of sixth inning: Coastal Carolina 10, Louisville 3

Colby Thorndyke plates another run

Colby Thorndyke is hit by a pitch and with the bases loaded, it plates another run. Coastal Carolina leads 10-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Blake Barthol drives in ninth run for Coastal Carolina

Blake Barthol drives in the ninth run of the game for Coastal Carolina on an RBI single to left field. Barthol drives in Sebastian Alexander, who advances to second base on a balk called on Ethan Eberle.

It’s 9-3 Coastal Carolina.

Ethan Eberle enters in sixth inning for Louisville

Lefty starter Ethan Eberle is entering the game for Louisville in the bottom of the sixth inning. Eberle comes on for Jack Brown with a runner on first and two outs.

The second out of the inning came on a perfect throw from right fielder Eddie King Jr., throwing out Wells Sykes trying to advance to third on a single.

Kamau Neighbors makes it 8-3; forces pitching change

Kamau Nieghbors with an RBI knock through the right side to score Tague Davis from third base. Garret Pike advances to third on the hit. It’s 8-3 Coastal Carolina. Neighbors has eight hits out of the nine-spot this CWS.

Matthew Potok records one out and is done. Lefty Hayden Johnson will come on to face Alex Alicea.

Garret Pike drives in second Louisville run

Garret Pike singles through the right side to score Eddie King Jr. from third base. Tague Davis is held up a third base with two outs.

End of the line for Riley Eikhoff in sixth inning

Riley Eikhoff’s day is over following 5 1/3 innings of work. Eickoff gave up one run on seven hits, but is responsible for the two runners on base.

Matthew Potok is on to pitch for the Chanticleers.

Tague Davis gets Louisville on the board

Louisville is finally on the board in the top of the sixth inning. Tague Davis hits a double to score Jake Munroe from second base. The Cardinals have runners on second and third with one out.

End of fifth inning: Coastal Carolina 8, Louisville 0

Dean Mihos extends Coastal Carolina lead with 2-run triple

Dean Mihos hits one to the right-center gap and it finds the wall to plate two more runs for Coastal Carolina. Mihos gets to third on the triple. It’s 8-0 Chanticleers.

Jack Brown enters in relief in fifth inning for Louisville

Louisville coach Dan McDonnell is making another pitching change with runners on the corners and two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jack Brown will take over on the mound for TJ Schlageter.

Louisville fails to score runner in scoring position

Kamau Neighbors picks up a single and takes second base on an error by the centerfielder with one out in the top of the fifth inning. However, Riley Eikhoff is able to retire the next two hitters on groundball outs to escape with another scoreless inning.

Eikhoff has allowed four hits and walked one with four strikeouts in his five innings of work. He is at 88 pitches, so it’ll be interesting to see how much more the Chanticleers can get out of him.

End of fourth inning: Coastal Carolina 6, Louisville 0

Coastal Carolina leads 6-0 through four innings

Coastal Carolina is still riding its six-run first inning to lead 6-0 through four innings. Louisville’s relievers have come in and done a good job of shutting down the Chanticleers. The Cardinals’ offense has yet to find a run off Riley Eikhoff

End of third inning: Coastal Carolina 6, Louisville 0

Louisville makes pitching change

Louisville coach Dan McDonnell goes to the bullpen again. This time TJ Schlageter will come in for Jake Schweitzer. Blagen Pado worked a five-pitch walk to bring up Colby Thorndyke to the dish with one on and one out.

Thorndyke had the three-RBI double off Schweitzer in the first inning.

Blake Barthol turns double play

A promising Louisville third inning turned sour quickly. The Cardinals first the first two hitters of the inning reached with leadoff hitter Alex Alicea at the plate. Alicea lined out to second baseman Blake Barthol, who took the ball unassisted to get Garret Pike out at second.

End of second inning: Coastal Carolina 6, Louisville 0

Coastal Carolina, Louisville trade 1-2-3 second innings

Following an explosive first inning from the Chanticleers, we have a slower second inning with Riley Eikhoff and Jake Schweitzer trading 1-2-3 innings. Schweitzer struck out a pair in the inning for Louisville.

End of first inning: Coastal Carolina 6, Louisville 0

Coastal Carolina scores six runs in first inning

Coastal Carolina just needs one win to advance to the championship series. The Chanticleers did not mess around in the first inning with a six spot. Walker Mitchell had a two-RBI single, while Colby Thorndyke added a three-run double and Ty Dooley had an RBI single.

Coastal Carolina forced Colton Hartman from the game just six batters in.

Ty Dooley drives in another Coastal Carolina run

Ty Dooley takes one down the middle through the second baseman and shortstop to plate Colby Thorndyke and it is 6-0 Coastal Carolina in the bottom of the first inning.

Colby Thorndyke drives in three with double

Colby Thorndyke turns on a 2-2 pitch and delivers a three-run double to give Coastal Carolina a 5-0 lead. Thorndyke is in scoring position and there are still no outs.

Jake Schweitzer relieves Colton Hartman in first inning

Just five batters and 17 pitches in, Louisville has to make a pitching change as Jake Schweitzer takes over for Colton Hartman on the bump.

Hartman hit two batters and walked another on four pitches. He allows two runs and is responsible for all three runners on base.

Walker Mitchell gives Coastal Carolina a 2-0 lead

Walker Mitchell gets a two-RBI single down the right field line to give Coastal a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Chancleteers have runners on the corners and zero out.

Bases loaded for Coastal Carolina in bottom of first

Three batters in, Coastal Carolina has the bases loaded with no one out following a single and two hit by pitches.

Riley Eikhoff works scoreless first inning

Riley Eikhoff works a scoreless first inning despite a lead-off single and stolen base from Alex Alicea. Eikhoff retires three straight hitters with a runner in scoring position to keep Louisville off the board in the top of the first inning.

College World Series semifinal underway

Riley Eikhoff fires a first pitch strike and the semifinal round of the 2025 College World Series is officially underway. Louisville needs to beat Coastal Carolina twice to advance to the championship series, while the Chanticleers need just one more win.

Pregame

Coastal Carolina designated home team

Riley Eikhoff will toe the rubber first in this one, as Coastal Carolina serves as the designated home team. Eikhoff will face switch-hitter Alex Alicea to start the game.

Coastal Carolina starting lineup vs Louisville

Here’s a look at the Chanticleers’ lineup against the Cardinals on June 18 in the CWS elimination game:

Cadine Bodine, C
Sebastian Alexander, LF
Blake Barthol, 2B
Walker Mitchell, 3B
Blagen Pado, RF
Colby Thorndyke, 1B
Dean Mihos, DH
Ty Dooley, SS
Wells Skyes, CF

Riley Eikhoff starting on mound for Coastal Carolina vs Louisville

Riley Eikhoff is on the mound to start for Coastal Carolina vs. Louisville. Eikoff has a 6-2 record with a 2.98 ERA in 84 2/3 innings in 2025 with 67 strikeouts and 10 walks.

In his last outing, Eikhoff went four innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits against Arizona. He struck out four hitters and did not walk any.

Louisville starting lineup vs Coastal Carolina

Here’s a look at the Cardinals’ starting lineup against the Chanticleers on June 18 in the CWS semifinal game:

Alex Alicea, SS
Lucas Moore, CF
Matt Klein, C
Jake Munroe, 3B 
Eddie King Jr., RF
Tague Davis, 1B
Zion Rose, LF
Garret Pike, DH
Kamau Neighbors, SS

Colton Hartman gets start for Louisville vs Coastal Carolina

Colton Hartman gets the start for Louisville vs. Coastal Carolina. The sophomore left-handed pitcher has a 2-0 record with a 9.00 ERA in 17 innings in 2025. Hartman has collected 20 strikeouts and walked 16 hitters. 

Hartman’s last appearance was on May 17 was Wake Forest. He pitched a scoreless inning, allowing two walks and striking out a batter.

What time does Coastal Carolina vs Louisville baseball start?

Date: Wednesday, June 18
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Where: Charles Schwab Field Omaha (Omaha, Neb.)

Coastal Carolina and Louisville are scheduled for a 2 p.m. ET first pitch at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, in a CWS semifinal game. If the Cardinals win, they force an if-necessary game on June 19.

What TV channel is Coastal Carolina vs Louisville baseball on today?

TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app | ESPN+ | Fubo (free trial)

The CWS semifinal game between Coastal Carolina and Louisville will air on ESPN. Mike Monaco (play-by-play), Ben McDonald (analyst) and Eduardo Pérez (analyst) and Dani Wexelman (reporter) will be on the call.

Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app (with a TV login), ESPN+ – ESPN’s subscription streaming service – and Fubo, the last of which carries ESPN and offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Coastal Carolina vs Louisville baseball predictions, picks, odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Wednesday, June 16

Spread: Coastal Carolina (-2.5)
Over/under: 11.5 runs
Moneyline: Coastal Carolina (-275) | Louisville (+200)

College World Series schedule

The College World Series began on June 13 and will run through June 22 or 23, depending on whether the championship series requires two or three games. Here is a more detailed look at the latest college baseball schedule and NCAA Tournament bracket update.

College World Series: June 13-22/23
CWS finals: June 21-22/23

The WNBA has ruled no suspensions will be enforced from the scuffle in the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun game, but the foul against Caitlin Clark was upgraded to a Flagrant 2.

Late in the third quarter of the contest, Clark was dribbling around the perimeter when Sun guard Jacy Sheldon made contact with Clark’s face. The Fever star was frustrated and shoved Sheldon. But immediately afterward, Sun forward Marina Mabrey jumped in and pushed Clark down on the floor. It resulted in a mild dustup between both teams on the court.

The officials reviewed the play and ruled a flagrant foul on Sheldon, with double technical fouls assessed to Clark and Connecticut center Tina Charles. Mabrey was charged with a technical foul, which confused the broadcast crew and viewers as the excessive contact was grounds for ejection.

Now, Mabrey’s technical foul has been upgraded to a Flagrant 2, the WNBA confirmed to IndyStar, part of the USA TODAY Network.

After the game, crew chief Ashley Gloss said in a pool report conducted by IndyStar ‘the contact made by Mabrey did not rise to the level of an ejection. Additionally, (it) did not meet the criteria for a flagrant foul penalty two.’ Clark and Charles were each given technical fouls for acting in an ‘unsportsmanlike manner.’

Had Mabrey’s Flagrant 2 been called in the game, she would have been ejected. She will face the standard fine for Flagrant 2.

Sophie Cunningham faces additional fine

The incident between Clark, Sheldon and Mabrey wasn’t the only incident in the chippy game. In the final minute of the quarter, Sheldon was going for a layup when Fever guard Sophie Cunningham wrapped her arms around her and pulled her to the ground. Sheldon immediately got up and teammate Lindsay Allen joined her in confronting Cunningham. A scuffle broke out between the three players as teammates and security attempted to break up the incident.

The play was reviewed and Cunningham was assessed a Flagrant 2 and ejected, while Sheldon and Allen were also assessed technical fouls for fighting and were also ejected.

The league added an additional fine to Cunningham on top of the standard Flagrant 2 fine she received.

No players will be suspended as a result of the game’s incidents. Indiana won the contest 88-71 to clinch a spot in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Real Madrid entered the FIFA Club World Cup as the favorites to win it all, but new coach Xabi Alonso warned the most popular soccer club in the world is in a state of transition.

Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde missed a penalty kick in stoppage time, forcing them to settle for a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabian powerhouse Al-Hilal on Wednesday in the opening match for both clubs at Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

“Every game will give us lessons to keep improving,” Alonso said after the shocking result without star Kylian Mbappe, who did not play because of a fever.

Is a draw an upset? Al-Hilal was a heavy underdog (+475) and a draw had even longer odds (+650), while Real Madrid (-285) was a heavy favorite to win, according to BETMGM. But the oddsmakers underestimate Al-Hilal’s standing as one of the best clubs in the Middle East.

Along with a roster of Saudi Arabians, the club is filled with standouts from Brazil, Portugal, Serbia and a goalkeeper from Morocco, who saved the match.

“Today was the day to stop him, so I’m happy,” Al-Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou said of slowing Valerde’s attempt and Real Madrid’s late chance for a victory.

The unforgiving South Florida heat also played a significant role in one of the surprising results in the first week of the Club World Cup. The 3 p.m. ET start, beaming sun, and temperatures above 90 degrees played a role in the match for the 62,415 fans in attendance, and the goal scorers.

Real Madrid’s Gonzalo García scored in the 34th minute, making the most of his opportunity starting in place of Mbappe.

Al-Hilal’s Rúben Neves scored a penalty kick in the 41st minute to tie the match before halftime.

As both clubs fired shots in the second half to steal the result, players began leaving the match as substitutes as the heat played a factor.

“FIFA needs to protect us, but it’s the situation we’re in,” Al-Hilal defender João Cancelo said. “We need to deal with this adversity and we need to keep going. Yeah, it’s difficult, but it’s for us and for Madrid. It’s the same.”

Al-Hilal’s Nasser Al-Dawsari dropped to the pitch after a stoppage in play, and FIFA medical officials trotted onto the field to treat him before he walked off on his own in the 76th minute.  

Shortly after, Neves laid on the pitch with a cramp as two teammates tried to help him stretch. He finished the match.

Real Madrid star Vinicus Junior came off in the 80th minute, even though he played in the shade covering the south part of the pitch at Hard Rock Stadium. “Vinícius had cramps because of the heat and the pitch,” Alonso said.

Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham also came off in the 84th minute, although that may have been so Croatian Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric could come on to a rousing ovation from fans.

Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Rodygo left the match in the 65th minute so backups could come on and help the effort.

“There’s some disappointment to have not won the game,” Alexander-Arnold said after his debut. “That’s the mentality as a Real Madrid player is to want and to expect to win every game we play in.”

The biggest moment of the match was the penalty not secured by Real Madrid.

Al-Hilal’s Mohammed Al-Qahtani tried to box out Real Madrid’s Fran García in the penalty area, but elbowed him.

The opportunity for Real Madrid was awarded after VAR in the 90th minute. But they couldn’t cash in.

Real Madrid and Al-Hilal come away with a point each after their first Club World Cup match in Group H.

They play their second group-stage matches Sunday: Real Madrid will face CF Pachuca (Mexico) in Charlotte at 3 p.m., and Al-Hilal will meet FC Salzburg (Austria) at 6 p.m. in Washington, D.C.

“Of course, it’s not easy to play against Madrid,” Al-Hilal defender Renan Lodi. “They are a team with players of the highest caliber. But we are very happy and delighted to have played a great game.”

Added Cancelo: “It’s very difficult to play against Vinicius, Rodrygo, Bellingham, Modric, Valverde. We play against the best players in the world. We’re one of the best teams in the world.”

Real Madrid starts second half with two misses: Real Madrid 1, Al-Hilal 1

Arda Güler hit the crossbar with a left footed shot, was followed by Gonzalo García’s header attempt in the 46th minute as the second half began. The crowd at Hard Rock Stadium roared loudly at both attempts, nearly scored and assisted by Vini Jr.

Salem Al-Dawsari nearly misses shot: Real Madrid 1, Al-Hilal 1

Al-Hilal’s captain nearly scored just before halftime, missing an opportunity to give his side the lead.

Rúben Neves scores penalty kick: Real Madrid 1, Al-Hilal 1

Rúben Neves scores a penalty in the 41st minute, and Al-Hilal has tied the match just before halftime.

The chance was created after Real Madrid centerback Raúl Asencio knocked over Al-Hilal’s Marcos Leonardo in the penalty area.

Gonzalo García goal: Real Madrid 1, Al-Hilal 0

Real Madrid is on the board in this one with Gonzalo García applying the finish on a pass from Rodrygo in the 34th minute. García, starting in place of Kylian Mbappe, makes the most of his opportunity.

Rodrygo’s left boot barely flies over net: Real Madrid 0, Al-Hilal 0

Rodrygo nearly scored in the 33rd minute, his left boot from the right side barely missing the crossbar and sent over.

Al-Hilal finds back of net, but offsides: Real Madrid 0, Al-Hilal 0

Al-Hilal’s Renan Lodi would have scored this goal, had he not been offsides in the 19th minute.

Vinícius Júnior gets yellow card: Real Madrid 0, Al-Hilal 0

Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior was shown a yellow card in the 15th minute after this sequence captured by the referee camera. He also appeared upset to not receive a favorable call earlier in the match.

Al-Hilal misses another shot in opening minutes: Real Madrid 0, Al-Hilal 0

Al-Hilal’s Salem Al Dawsari nearly scored this left boot in the 9th minute of the match.

Al-Hilal fires shot in opening minutes: Real Madrid 0, Al-Hilal 0

Al-Hilal’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic fired this shot in the second minute of the match, saved by Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Real Madrid enters the pitch for pregame warmups

Is Mbappe playing vs. Al-Hilal? Real Madrid starting lineup

No, Mbappe was not listed as a starter or substitute in Real Madrid’s starting lineup. He was also not seen coming off the Real Madrid bus before the match.

What time is the Real Madrid vs. Al-Hilal match?

The match begins at 3 p.m. ET (9 p.m. in Madrid, Spain and 10 p.m. in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia).

How to watch Real Madrid vs. Al-Hilal on TV and live stream?

The match is available to watch on TNT and TruTV in English on TV, and available to live stream for free on DAZN (Watch now).  

Watch Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal on DAZN

What did Xabi Alonso say about Mbappe’s condition?

Mbappe did not practice on Tuesday with Real Madrid. Alonso said Mbappe “was feeling a bit better, but not fully fit. We thought it was not best for him to go to the training session.

“We’ll see how he evolves. We’re going to be waiting for him until the last minute. We’ll make a decision to him [Wednesday] morning.”

Real Madrid vs. Al-Hilal betting odds

Here are the betting odds for the match, according to BETMGM.

Real Madrid: -285
Al-Hilal: +475
Draw: +650
Over/under: 3.5 goals

Real Madrid upcoming schedule in FIFA Club World Cup

June 22: Real Madrid vs. CF Pachuca (Mexico), 3 p.m. ET inside Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
June 26: Real Madrid vs. FC Salzburg (Austria), 9 p.m. ET inside Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).
The diagnosis followed a concussion Josi sustained in a game against the Florida Panthers on February 25.

The Nashville Predators have released a statement regarding captain Roman Josi’s recent diagnosis of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

‘Roman Josi was diagnosed with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) toward the end of the 2024-25 season,’ the statement reads. ‘He has been undergoing treatment since that diagnosis and is progressing exceptionally well,’

In a recent interview with Blick, a Swiss digital media company, Josi revealed that he was diagnosed with POTS after investigating the after effects of a head injury. The injury occurred during a Feb. 25 game against the Florida Panthers, when Sam Bennett hit Josi into the wall, causing his head to hit the glass.

What is POTS and when will Roman Josi return to Predators?

After dealing with headaches, dizziness and lightheadedness, Josi said the diagnosis was made during a post-concussion check-up. POTS is a condition in which one suffers an increased heart rate after standing up and can be accompanied by dizziness, fatigue and brain fog, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Since his diagnosis, Josi has been given medicine for treatment and expects to be able to play the 2025-26 season.

“I’ve been feeling much better since then,’ he told Blick, via Google Translate. ‘I’ve regained the belief that I’ll be 100 percent fit again and can fully attack with Nashville and the Swiss national team next winter.”

The Predators’ statement adds that the organization feels Josi will be fine to play in the 2025-26 season.

‘We concur with Roman that with continued management and treatment, he can return to the ice for the 2025-26 season and continue his elite hockey career,’ the statement read.

Josi, who missed the final 25 games of the season with a concussion, scored nine goals and had 29 assists in 53 games for Nashville in 2024-25. The 35-year-old captain is the Predators’ all-time leader in points (724) and games played (962).

Predators reacquire Erik Haula

The Predators have acquired forward Erik Haula from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a fourth-round pick (2025) and defenseman Jeremy Hanzel.

Haula, 34, scored 11 goals and 10 assists for the Devils last season. In his 12-year career as a winger and center, Haula has 153 goals and 184 goals in 759 games for seven different teams.

The trade brings Haula back to Nashville, where he spent the 2020-21 season. That year, he scored nine goals and 12 assists in 51 games with the Predators before leaving in free agency for the Boston Bruins.

Haula is in the final year of a three-year contract he signed with New Jersey in 2023. He is owed $3.15 million for the 2025-26 season, after which he will be an unrestricted free agent. After accounting for Haula’s $3.1 million cap hit, the Predators will have $14.2 million in cap space for the 2025-26 season, according to PuckPedia.

Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.

If you follow the NFL, it’s likely you’ve heard (or seen with your own eyes) how defenses have caught up to offenses.

It wasn’t always this way. Just a short time ago, anywhere from five to seven years or so, offenses dominated the league. They morphed and shifted, and defenses were often (though not always) helpless to stop them.

That has changed. The reasons why vary and what’s always been interesting is how few people have fully, and easily (that’s the key), publicly explained why.

Until now.

Behold former Los Angeles Rams and current Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp. He was part of the Rams offense, led by Sean McVay, when in 2021 he won a rare NFL receiving triple crown, leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

What Kupp does on the ‘Bump & Stacy’ show is give one of the best breakdowns of recent defensive evolution you will ever hear. It’s remarkable stuff. His explanation starts by taking us back in time to almost a decade ago.

“So, in 2017 and 2018, Sean McVay’s offense is ahead of the game,” Kupp said. “There were times we were running plays and (defenses) have no idea what was going on.

“And we were just manipulating them (defenses), moving them … manipulating them to where we wanted to go … it was just, it was stupid.”

It’s difficult to overstate how advanced McVay’s schemes were. McVay’s rep as an offensive genius started with those years. And Kupp is right. It was stupid. Defenses had an incredibly hard time stopping them. McVay was named coach of the year in 2017.

Then, as Kupp notes, ever so slowly, defensive coaches, who don’t like to be on the other end of stupid, began to adapt. It took some time, years actually, but it happened.

“2019, defenses start catching on, and there’s a little bit of a Vic Fangio thing that comes on.”

Fangio started using more Cover 4 or “quarters” where four defenders split up the field into fourths and focus on deep coverage. This didn’t stop offenses’ explosive deep games, but it slowed them. Fangio mixed in other coverages as well.

Then something else happened.

“2020 comes. Brandon Staley gets hired to LA. Brandon Staley was with Fangio. Staley in one year puts together the No. 1 defense in the league,” Kupp said.

Staley transformed the Rams’ defense overnight to where they were first in almost every major statistical category.

“Now Staley’s thing is all about concept recognition, concept match,” explained Kupp. “Being able to cancel routes and move in to new things.”

This is a sophisticated way of saying Staley taught how to quickly recognize what the offense was doing and get it, before it got you.

“So now you have defenses not just dropping to spots, but now they’re playing the offenses,” he said.

See the education you’re getting here?

Kupp is explaining some high level, and historical things, in easy-to-understand bites. He sounds like a really good college professor explaining how aluminum tariffs work. But doing it with pizazz and energy.

All of these defensive techniques and philosophies from the past eight years or so are now in modern defenses, which feature a mash of concepts, aggression and trickery. They have officially caught up to the offenses that just a short time ago used to overwhelm them.

“Now more and more of this has shifted and molded into defenses now that are holding these shells and being able to say, ‘You’re not going to see what we’re doing pre-snap. We’re going to show you late. We’re going to bring pressures from all different directions,’” Kupp said.

One of the interviewers then says to Kupp: “You should be an analyst.”

Oh, he will be. If he wants to.

But he’s not done on the field just yet.

All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.

Channeling the Robert Pattinson version of Bruce Wayne in ‘The Batman,’ Lamar Jackson has something on his mind entering the 2025 season.

‘Vengeance.’

The Baltimore Ravens quarterback, speaking to the media for the first time since the Ravens fell in a heartbreaker to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round in January, said Tuesday at the team’s first minicamp practice that losses from youth football still haunt him.

So it’s safe to assume the two-time MVP and 2024 first-team All-Pro is still thinking about that frigid, late-January night in western New York when tight end Mark Andrews – one of Jackson’s closest teammates – dropped what would have been a game-tying two-point conversion catch. Instead, the Ravens lost to Josh Allen (the eventual MVP) and the Bills, 27-25.

‘I never get over a loss,’ Jackson said, ‘I don’t care how small it might be to someone else or how great it might be, it’s always the same for me.

‘We’re going to bounce back, and when we come back, I feel like we are going to have vengeance on our minds.’

Jackson fumbled and threw an interception in the first half against Buffalo to put Baltimore in an early hole. Without those turnovers, Jackson said he felt like the Ravens would have moved on to face the Chiefs in the AFC championship game, a rematch from the year before. The Ravens lost that matchup in a game the offense was also plagued by turnovers.

‘(Without) turnovers,’ Jackson said in reference to the Buffalo game, ‘I feel like we win.’

Quarterbacks coach Tee Martin said the last two seasons have resulted in ‘some deep-felt loss’ for Jackson. Their offseason conversations, at least what Jackson is verbalizing, have been different, Martin said.

‘You see maturity there in terms of what he sees on the field and things that he wants to do offensively,’ Martin said. ‘He’s having more input back to us as coaches. Like, ‘I see this. I would like to do this more or less.’ He’s doing more of that and just taking his communication to the next level, so that’s what I would say about that.’

The area in which Martin has seen the most growth from Jackson was verbal communication with his teammates. When Martin joined the Ravens’ staff in 2021, Jackson led more by example. Jackson, barely in his mid-20s then, didn’t always speak up with veteran receivers such as Nelson Agholor and eventually Odell Beckham Jr. on the offensive side of the ball. That’s changed, even with the acquisition of another veteran wideout in DeAndre Hopkins.

‘We’ve had guys that’s been in and out that’s causing him to talk about what he sees and how he feels about things,’ Martin said.

Jackson declined to comment on anything regarding his contract but replied ‘it sounds good’ when asked about potentially becoming the NFL’s top earner.

Lamar Jackson pushes for Ravens to sign Jaire Alexander, a former Louisville teammate

While Jackson had DeCosta’s attention, he made a pitch for another acquisition before the season starts. Although he stated he is a fan of the teams corners, the Ravens should look into signing his Louisville teammate Jaire Alexander, who was released by the Green Bay Packers earlier in June.

‘Go get him, Eric … that’s my boy,’ Jackson said.

Thanks to a healthy diet of fruit, push-ups and sit-ups, Jackson said he’s maintained his weight around 200 pounds and didn’t do anything extravagant during the offseason – a slightly different approach compared to past makeovers that featured him either bulking up or shedding weight to regain agility.

The Ravens open the season at home against the Bills on ‘Sunday Night Football’ Sept. 7.