Real Madrid survived a frantic finish against Borussia Dortmund to reach the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals. And they have their French World Cup champion and Golden Boot winner to thank for helping them advance.

Kylian Mbappé scored in stoppage time to keep them ahead, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a crucial save on the final play, and Real Madrid advanced past Dortmund, 3-2, in in their quarterfinal match on Saturday, June 5, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Mbappé’s scored his first goal at the Club World Cup (90’+4’) with ideal timing. His fallaway right boot was the insurance Real Madrid needed, answering a goal scored by Dortmund’s Maximilian Beier (90’+2’), and coming before Serhou Guirassy scored a penalty (90’+8’) in the chaotic final minutes.

Courtois saved a right boot fired by Dortmund’s Marcel Sabitzer in the closing seconds to secure the victory, which Real Madrid had in hand for most of the match as Gonzalo García (10’) and Fran García (20’) built the early lead they barely sustained.

The Club World Cup semifinals are set: Premier League standouts Chelsea will face Brazilian side Fluminense in the first semifinal on Tuesday, July 8.

Real Madrid — which beat Dortmund in the 2024 Champions League final before Mbappé joined the club — will meet the 2025 Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappé’s old team, in the other semifinal on Wednesday, July 9.

Both semifinals, and the Club World Cup final on Sunday, July 13 will be played at MetLife Stadium.

PSG VS. BAYERN: UEFA Champions League winners move onto Club World Cup semifinals

Mbappé entered as a substitute in the 68th minute, playing to the final whistle in his second consecutive match of the tournament. He missed the first three matches due to a stomach flu that caused him to be briefly hospitalized on June 19.

With Mbappé sidelined, Gonzalo García has made the most of his opportunity. He has scored four goals in Real Madrid’s five Club World Cup matches.

However, Mbappé proved his importance to Real Madrid’s Club World Cup title chances with his clutch score to help them advance to the semifinals.

Watch every Club World Cup game free on DAZN

Real Madrid vs. Dortmund, Club World Cup highlights

Real Madrid 3, Dortmund 2: Thibaut Courtois makes save to end match

What a save by Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois on the final play of the match, stoppage a shot by Dortmund’s Marcel Sabitzer. Real Madrid survives and advances.

Real Madrid 3, Dortmund 2: Serhou Guirassy scores penalty

Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy has scored a penalty in stoppage time (90’+8’), after being fouled by Real Madrid’s Dean Huijsen in the penalty area.

Real Madrid 3, Dortmund 1: Kylian Mbappé scores goal

Kylian Mbappé scored a fall-away goal with his right boot in added time (90’+4’) to punch Real Madrid’s ticket to the semifinal.

Real Madrid 2, Dortmund 1: Maximilian Beier scores goal

Dortmund trimmed the deficit with three minutes left to play. Maximilian Beier scored in added time (90’+2’) to make it 2-1. We’ll see if Real Madrid can close this out.

Real Madrid 2, Dortmund 0: Mbappé, Modric enter in second half

Real Madrid will make some substitutes with Mbappé, Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric and Dani Ceballos coming on in the 68th minute for Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Will Mbappé enter in second half for Real Madrid?

Real Madrid leads 2-0, but it is unclear when Mbappé will enter the match as a substitute if he does. He was not listed as a starter in Real Madrid’s starting lineup for the match.

Real Madrid 2, Dortmund 0: Halftime update

Real Madrid is one half away from advancing in the Club World Cup. They control the match with two goals in the first 20 minutes from Gonzalo García (10′) and Fran García (20′), while Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham have spoiled opportunities to increase their lead. Dortmund had only one shot on goal from three attempts, despite controlling 58.5% possession in the first half.

Real Madrid 2, Dortmund 0: Jude Bellingham misses shot on goal

Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham nearly scored inside the box in the 27th minute, but his shot veered to the right of the net. It was a missed opportunity by Bellingham, who played for Dortmund from 2020-23, to triple Real Madrid’s lead in the first half.

Real Madrid 2, Dortmund 0: Fran García scores goal

Fran García has scored Real Madrid’s second goal, sneaking a left boot into the back of the net in the 20th minute.

It’s early, but everything is going Real Madrid’s way in this quarterfinal against Dortmund.

Real Madrid 1, Dortmund 0: Gonzalo García scores goal

Real Madrid received another goal from its breakout star in the Club World Cup: Gonzalo García has scored in the 10th minute, his fourth goal in five matches during the tournament.

García has started in place of Kylian Mbappé, who was sidelined with a stomach flu for the first three matches of the tournament and returned off the bench against Juventus in the last round. The decision to start García over Mbappé appears to have already paid off for Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso.

Real Madrid, Dortmund players honor Diogo Jota

How to watch Real Madrid vs. Dortmund live stream link?

The match is also available to live stream for free on DAZN.

How to watch Real Madrid vs. Dortmund match on TV?

The match will be broadcast by TNT and TruTv in English, and Univision and TUDN in Spanish in the United States.

What time is Real Madrid vs. Dortmund match?

The match begins at 4 p.m. ET (10 p.m. in Madrid and Dortmund, Germany)

Is Mbappé playing? Real Madrid starting lineup vs. Dortmund

Mbappé is expected to play, but will come on as a substitute. He was not listed as a starter in Real Madrid’s starting lineup for the match.

Borussia Dortmund starting lineup vs. Real Madrid

Is Jobe Bellingham playing today? 

No, Jobe Bellingham is not playing for Dortmund because of a yellow card accumulation in the Club World Cup. He won’t play against his older brother, Jude for Real Madrid. 

What did the coaches say before Real Madrid vs. Dortmund match?

It will be the fifth match for Xabi Alonso as Real Madrid’s coach, taking over during their Club World Cup run after leading Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.

“It will be an intense game, and we need to perform at a high level. We’re looking forward to it,” Alonso told reporters before the match.

Dortmund’s Niko Kovac orchestrated the club’s epic comeback from 10th place to fourth to finish the Bundesliga season.

“We’re expecting a lot of supporters, especially for Real Madrid,” Kovac told reporters. “We’re here as an underdog, but we also want to show our best face and hopefully – this is what we are believing – we can pass to the next round.”

Real Madrid vs. Dortmund betting odds

Here are the betting odds during regular time, according to BETMGM.

Real Madrid: -165
Draw: +333
Dortmund: +400
Over/under: 3.5 goals

Who will Real Madrid-Dortmund winner face in Club World Cup semifinal?

The winner of the Real Madrid-Dortmund match will face Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semifinal on July 9 at MetLife Stadium.

Which teams are already in the Club World Cup semifinals?

Premier League standouts Chelsea and Brazilian club Fluminense in the first Club World Cup semifinal on July 8 at MetLife Stadium.

Chelsea beat Palmeiras (Brazil) 2-1, while Fluminense topped Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia) 2-0 on July 4.

When is the FIFA Club World Cup final?

The Club World Cup final will be played on Sunday, July 13 at 3 p.m. ET inside MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

NASCAR’s inaugural In-Season Challenge got off to a chaotic start last week at Atlanta. Chase Elliott won on his home track in what became an event of attrition following multiple big wrecks.

More than one-third of the grid did not finish the June 28 race at EchoPark Speedway, and Elliott passed leader Brad Keselowski on the final lap to take victory by 0.168 seconds.

That victory marked Elliott’s first win since his win at Texas Motor Speedway back in April 2024. It also closed the gap at the top of the drivers’ standings from Elliott in second to points leader William Byron, who was caught in one of the wrecks. Elliott now sits 37 points behind Byron atop the standings.

With many drivers knocked out of contention before the checkered flag, the in-season challenge bracket saw plenty of upsets. Top seed Denny Hamlin’s DNF gave No. 32 seed Ty Dillon the win and eliminated the Joe Gibbs Racing driver from contention. Same goes for Hamlin’s JGR teammate Chase Briscoe, the No. 2 seed.

This week marks the only street course event on the Cup Series calendar in 2025, so there will likely be even more surprises in store. Here’s everything you need to get ready for the Cup Series race in Chicago on July 6:

What time does the NASCAR Cup race in Chicago start?

The Grant Park 165 is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local) Sunday, July 6, on the street course in downtown Chicago.

What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race in Chicago on?

The Grant Park 165 will be broadcast on TNT. It’s the second of four races to be broadcast on the network. Pre-race coverage will start at 1 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race in Chicago?

Yes, the Grant Park 165 will be streamed on WatchTNT, Max and Sling TV.

Stream the NASCAR race at Chicago on Sling

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race in Chicago?

The Grant Park 165 is 75 laps around the 2.2-mile track for a total of 165 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 20 laps; Stage 2: 25 laps; Stage 3: 30 laps.

Who won the NASCAR Cup race at Chicago last year?

Alex Bowman led the final eight laps, taking the lead on Lap 51 of the shortened race that ended with a countdown clock on Lap 58 instead of the scheduled 75 after weather disrputed the race. When the clock hit zero, Bowman needed to maintain his lead for two laps – taking the white flag and the checkered flag – to earn his lone victory of 2024. Bowman pulled away from Tyler Reddick and won by 2.863 seconds.

NASCAR In-Season Challenge second round matchups

Thirty-two drivers qualified for the inaugural in-season challenge and 16 were eliminated in Atlanta. The 16 winners advanced to the second round and make up the remaining bracket. Here’s how things look entering Chicago:

Top half of draw

No. 17 Brad Keselowski vs. No. 32 Ty Dillon
No. 8 Alex Bowman vs. No. 9 Bubba Wallace
No. 5 Chase Elliott vs. No. 12 John Hunter Nemechek
No. 20 Erik Jones vs. No. 29 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Bottom half of draw

No. 15 Ryan Preece vs. No. 31 Noah Gragson
No. 23 Tyler Reddick vs. No. 26 Carson Hocevar
No. 6 Ty Gibbs vs. No. 22 A.J. Allmendinger
No. 3 Chris Buescher vs. No. 14 Zane Smith

What is the lineup for the Grant Park 165 at Chicago?

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Will Brown, No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Josh Bilicki, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
Katherine Legge, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

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T.J. Watt skipped the Pittsburgh Steelers’ mandatory minicamp as he looks to land a new long-term deal with the franchise.

The two parties haven’t yet bridged the gap between them, but the Steelers remain steadfast they want to keep Watt, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

‘I talked to somebody with the team who said, ‘Look, these are complicated deals to do, but we are working on it. We want T.J. Watt here,” Fowler said in a recent appearance on ‘SportsCenter.’

Watt had been the subject of recent trade rumors amid the ongoing contract dispute. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported multiple teams had reached out to the Steelers about Watt.

Despite this, Pittsburgh doesn’t appear interested in listening to offers about Watt.

‘There’s not a lot of traction right now as far as a potential trade, though there would certainly be a lot of interest if the Steelers would tap into that,’ Fowler explained.

So, why then haven’t the Steelers yet agreed to a deal with Watt? Fowler outlined some of the hang-ups in negotiation.

‘People have told me around the league that it’s guaranteed money, it’s term length, a lot of the details that get sticky this time of year,’ Fowler explained.

Still, Fowler believes the likely outcome is Watt earning a record-setting contract from Pittsburgh.

‘This is a situation where he’s probably going to be the highest-paid edge rusher in the league when this is all said and done,’ Fowler said. ‘It just depends on when the Steelers can do it.’

‘Typically, they like to do their deals either around training camp or leading into Week 1,’ he added. ‘So this is far from over.’

Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala suffered a seemingly major ankle injury during a FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal between the German side and Paris Saint-Germain at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Musiala required significant treatment in the final seconds of the first half of Saturday’s game after an awkward collision between him and PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma caused what looked on replay like a potentially severe injury.

BAYERN VS. PSG: Highlights from Club World Cup showdown

REAL MADRID VS. DORTMUND: Catch up on quarterfinal action

Donnarumma, upon seeing the nature of the injury, was one of several players to look distraught on the field, with referee Anthony Taylor calling the first half to a close as team trainers attended to Musiala. Serge Gnabry was brought on to replace Musiala during the halftime break.

The 22-year-old, a major player for Bayern and the German national team, is among the world’s premier attacking midfielders, and the Bundesliga powerhouse does not have a straightforward option to replace him.

Watch Club World Cup on DAZN

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The MLS regular-season game between Austin FC and the Los Angeles Football Club on Saturday, July 5 has been postponed.

The league decided to postpone the game due to the “severe weather impacting the safety of travel in central Texas,” according to a statement released by Austin FC.

The league worked with local authorities upon making the decision.

As of Saturday evening, flooding in Texas has caused the death of 32 people while state officials now are bracing for a ‘long, toilsome’ recovery.

“Austin FC extends its heartfelt sympathy to those who have been impacted by the devastating flooding across central Texas. Our hearts go out to the families, friends and neighbors who have lost their lives – and we urge those that are able to find their way to safety,” the club said in its statement.

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There isn’t a shortage of explosive offensive players in the NFL, but which players provide the most fireworks on the field?

In the spirit of the fourth of July holiday, USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon provides his take for the four most explosive offensive players in the NFL this upcoming season.

Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is an obvious answer but is he the lone quarterback on the list? Does Tyreek Hill make the cut after a down year by his standards. How many wide receivers and running backs make the list?

Here are the four most explosive offensive players in the NFL:

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said this offseason that Jackson will be the highest-paid player in football when he signs his next contract. There’s no doubt the two-time MVP deserves that distinction.

Jackson is coming off a season in which he led NFL in passer rating (119.6), set career highs in passing yards (4,172) and touchdown passes (41), and became the first quarterback in league history with at least 4,000 passing yards and 800 rushing yards (915).

The Ravens are once again on the short list of contenders this year. And Jackson and company are motivated after a disappointing showing this past postseason.

“We’re going to bounce back,” Jackson told reporters this offseason. “We’ll come back and I feel like we’re gonna have vengeance on our mind.’

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley

The Eagles rewarded Barkley with a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension after his superb year in Philly. He’s the first running back in NFL history to earn more than $20 million per year.

Barkley’s 2,005 rushing yards were the eighth most in a regular season in NFL history. And to top it off, he became the league’s all-time single-season, including playoffs, rushing leader during the Eagles Super Bowl 59 win.

Barkley compiled an NFL-high 46 runs of 10-plus yards.

The Eagles core offensive players are all set to return, including four returning starters along the O-line, so expect Barkley to have another stellar season in Philadelphia.

‘It’s very obvious when you watch the tape how good of a player he is, right. But the things that he has that he brings to our football team as far as his leadership, his work ethic. He’s an awesome teammate. Those are the things that make him very special,’ Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said, via the team’s official website.

Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs

Good things tend to happen when the Lions give Gibbs the football.

Gibbs had a Lions single-season record and NFL-high 20 touchdowns from scrimmage last season. He became only the fourth player in league history to produce a season with at least 1,900 yards from scrimmage, 16 rushing TDs and four receiving TDs in 2024. Entering 2025, the versatile running back is tied-for-first in total touchdowns (31) and ranked third in scrimmage yards (3,190) and rushing yards (2,357) in Lions history through two-career seasons.

Gibbs has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons. He’s the first Lions running back to do that since Barry Sanders. He’s averaged 5.5 yards per carry to begin his career.

“I feel like last year was more of a breakout season for (Gibbs),” Sanders said of Gibbs this offseason. “He eclipsed 1,000 yards. Just the type of exciting, dynamic plays that he’s able to make. His speed and his vision.”

Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase

Chase earned the receiving triple crown last season. He was rewarded when the Bengals re-signed him to a massive extension this offseason, making him the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver.

Joe Burrow and Chase have one of the league’s most potent connections. Chase has 395 catches for 5,425 receiving yards and 46 TDs in four seasons. His total receiving yards and receiving TDs are each the third-most in a player’s first four seasons in NFL history. The wideout leads the NFL in touchdown receptions of 40 or more yards (18), 50 or more yards (13) and 60 or more yards (12) since the start of his 2021 rookie season, per the Bengals.

There’s no sign of Burrow and Chase slowing down. The Bengals have both signed through the 2029 season.

“(Chase) is a special player,” Burrow said to reporters last season. “Any way that you can get him the ball, he makes plays.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

Paris Saint-Germain survived a dramatic FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal, holding off Bayern Munich to win 2-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta despite finishing the game with just nine players on the field.

PSG, the reigning UEFA Champions League winner, got late goals from Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé to claim victory, even after defenders Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernández both received red cards. Bayern had the better of large chunks of the game, but saw two goals called back for offside calls, and most worryingly lost playmaker Jamal Musiala to a potentially major ankle injury in the first half.

PSG’s win sends Luis Enrique’s side through to the Club World Cup semifinals, where they’ll meet the winner of Saturday’s late game between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.

Here are highlights from the game, as well as minute-by-minute updates as a chaotic Club World Cup battle played out between PSG and Bayern:

PSG vs. Bayern Club World Cup highlights

Full time: PSG 2, Bayern 0

It was utterly unhinged in the final minutes, and the German side will walk off baffled at how it’s turned out this way, but nine-man Paris Saint-Germain has claimed a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich.

Désiré Doué’s 78th minute goal turned out to be the game-winner, but it also let loose a wild sequence of events. PSG had both Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernández sent off, yet scored a second with just nine men on the field. Ousmane Dembélé’s stoppage-time goal sealed the win, but there was still more drama as Bayern were given a penalty kick…only for it to be chalked off due to a VAR check.

However it happened, PSG is through to the semifinals, where they will face either Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Bayern given, and then denied, penalty kick

Pure chaos in Atlanta.

Bayern hoofed a ball into the box that Gianluigi Donnarumma could only get fingertips to, and Thomas Müller leapt up to head the rebound towards goal. Nuno Mendes stuck his foot up high at the same time to attempt a clearance, and PSG had to block Müller’s effort on the line.

However, referee Anthony Taylor has called Mendes for a foul due to his high foot, giving a penalty.

And yet! Taylor gets a call from VAR, and after checking the monitor he has taken the call back. No penalty, and the game restarts with a drop ball.

Goal PSG! Dembélé puts this game to bed

PSG, who again are playing with just nine after two red cards, have somehow ended up scoring anyway.

It looked like their moment was going to pass, as Ousmane Dembélé’s thunderbolt slapped off the crossbar, but PSG ended up keeping the attack going. Bayern left too many men forward gambling in pursuit of an equalizer, and they’ve paid a high price. Achraf Hakimi collected the ball and fed Dembélé again, and this time the France striker had to just steer the ball over the line.

Red card: PSG down to nine as Hernández is off

Lucas Hernández has barely been on the field, but his day is already done after getting a red card in stoppage time.

A replay shows that his swinging elbow caught Raphaël Guerreiro in the chin, and referee Anthony Taylor almost immediately responded with a straight red card.

What a bizarre ending this is. Bayern is sizing up a free kick, and PSG has just nine players on to defend.

PSG vs. Bayern: Substitution round-up

Between the goal and the red card, we’ve seen a wave of substitutions from both teams. Here’s who came in, and who departed:

PSG

Out: Désiré Doué, Fabián Ruiz, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
In: Lucas Hernández, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Lucas Beraldo

Bayern

Out: Aleksandar Pavlović, Kingsley Coman, Sacha Boey
In: Leon Goretzka, Thomas Müller, Raphaël Guerreiro

Kane denied goal by offside flag

It’s non-stop here, but we need to give this update as Harry Kane is called offside just after nodding home a seeming 87th-minute equalizer.

Expect a dramatic finish given how wild this game has gotten since Doué’s goal.

Red card: PSG’s Pacho dismissed

PSG may have the lead, but they’re going to have to hang on for dear life here after center back Willian Pacho was given a red card in the 82nd minute.

Replays show Pacho catching Leon Goretzka with his studs, arriving late and raking down the Germany midfielder’s shin.

Goal PSG! Doué strikes in 78th minute

We have the breakthrough goal, and it’s Désiré Doué firing a left-footed effort past Manuel Neuer in the 78th minute.

The sequence started with a Bayern turnover, with João Neves running on past Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Portugal midfielder produced a stunning turn to shed his defender, then passed back to Doué, who in turn cut inside before shooting quickly, picking out the bottom corner.

Both teams have made changes after the goal, we’ll get those straightened out momentarily.

Bookings both ways

Désiré Doué just picked up a yellow card after taking a dive near midfield, but seconds later referee Anthony Taylor was called over to the Bayern bench, apparently giving a booking to the German side’s head coach Vincent Kompany.

PSG vs. Bayern: Neuer error somehow doesn’t end in goal

Manuel Neuer came well out of his box only to turn the ball over, and somehow this 74th minute opening didn’t end in a goal.

It seemed impossible for Neuer to close the angle after sending a pass directly into Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but the Germany No. 1 somehow dove in to prevent a shot with a sliding tackle, then put enough pressure on Ousmane Dembélé to force the forward to roll his shot from long range wide.

What a lucky escape from Bayern.

Bayern’s Laimer gets yellow card, PSG makes change

Bayern has received more bad news, with Konrad Laimer being the first player to receive a booking after a 68th-minute challenge on Désiré Doué. That will have a major impact if Bayern advances, as Laimer will be suspended due to yellow card accumulation.

Meanwhile, Ousmane Dembélé (PSG’s top scorer in the 2024-25 season) is coming on to replace Bradley Barcola in the 70th minute.

Neuer denies Barcola

Suddenly PSG has a breakaway after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia slipped in him behind Bayern’s defense, with Bradley Barcola looking sure to score.

However, the 22-year-old started to lean for his shot early, and Manuel Neuer read his intentions, springing to his left to get fingertips to Barcola’s shot.

Still 0-0, but that was easily PSG’s best look so far.

PSG vs. Bayern: Second half begins

We’re back underway in this Club World Cup quarterfinal, with Bayern bringing on Serge Gnabry for the injured Jamal Musiala.

No word on Musiala’s status just yet.

Halftime: PSG 0, Bayern 0

It’s been nearly all Bayern Munich, but PSG has held on to keep this game scoreless at the halftime break. Bayern has disrupted PSG with an intelligent pressing scheme, and the UEFA Champions League winners have only sporadically been able to feed their attackers while fending off an increasing tide of chances.

However, the big story at the moment is what seems like a severe injury for Jamal Musiala, who badly wrenched his ankle after a collision in essentially the final moment of the first half.

Musiala appears seriously hurt

A collision chasing the ball down inside the PSG box has ended with a very alarming injury for Jamal Musiala.

It’s bad enough that Gianluigi Donnarumma is nearly in tears, with several players putting their hands on their head after seeing the state of the Germany midfielder. Mercifully we’re only getting one look at it on replay, which revealed what looked like a severe ankle problem.

Bayern goal waved off for offside

PSG is barely going to stagger into halftime with a 0-0 scoreline at this point, as Dayot Upamecano seemingly headed Bayern into the lead.

However, as the center back celebrates with a knee slide, the bad news arrives: the offside flag is up, and on replay it’s Upamecano and about four other teammates going too soon.

Great refereeing in first-half stoppage time, but for PSG the alarm bells have been ringing for some time.

Big save from Donnarumma denies Bayern

Aleksandar Pavlović didn’t mean for that to be a dangerous shot, but Bayern had its closest brush yet with a goal. Pavlović’s 42nd-minute attempt to slip Jamal Musiala in for a close-range chance didn’t quite connect, but Musiala’s lunging attempt to touch the ball home was a huge distraction for Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Nevertheless, the Italian goalkeeper managed to spot that Musiala didn’t get a touch, then react with stunning quickness to slap the ball away on the line.

Kane narrowly misses for Bayern

Kingsley Coman hasn’t featured much so far against his former club, but he just roasted two defenders in the 38th minute before driving a cross in for Harry Kane.

This looked like it was going to end in an opening goal, but the England striker’s header from close range zipped over the crossbar. That’s a let-off for PSG, as Kane has made a career out of burying chances like that one.

Kvaratskhelia nearly forces a goal, Bayern substitution

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia cut inside of Konrad Laimer and charged straight at goal, suddenly turning some possession into a major chance. Manuel Neuer did a great job to get a hand out and stop the initial shot, then stuffed Kvaratskhelia on the rebound to keep this game scoreless.

Josip Stanišić has taken a seat, and it’s the same hamstring issue from before. Sacha Boey has been brought in to replace the Croatian in the 34th minute.

PSG vs. Bayern: Olise forces game’s first big save

Michael Olise has been a major factor for Bayern in these early stages, and the France winger was just denied by a good save from Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 27th minute.

Olise’s shot from a slight angle had plenty of power, but Donnarumma correctly read that this would be a shot rather than a cross, allowing him to dive out and tip the ball away.

At the other end, Désiré Doué is down in a bit of pain, but it looks more like he’s hoping to get a penalty kick over some modest contact in the box. That didn’t pan out, we’re still at 0-0.

End-to-end as teams exchange chances

PSG finally found a counter-attacking opportunity, but the angle was just too narrow for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who fired a shot from a yard off the endline into the outside netting.

Bayern took the resulting goal kick quickly and briefly looked to have caught PSG out, but the French side recovered well enough to prevent a shot.

Meanwhile, Josip Stanišić seems to have felt some tightness in his hamstring, and Bayern is already getting Sacha Boey ready. Stanišić has come back on after some treatment, but that’s a situation to watch given PSG’s attacking speed.

Bayern vs. PSG: Germans on the front foot

For the first time at the Club World Cup, PSG is under something resembling sustained pressure as Bayern has kept the game closer to Gianluigi Donnarumma’s net.

There haven’t been a lot of chances, but after nine minutes, PSG has had to do a substantial amount of defending deep in their own end. The Ligue 1 side has handled that comfortably, forcing Bayern wide, but that’s about all you can say for their performance so far.

How to watch PSG vs. Bayern Munich: TV channel, live stream

TV channel: TNT
Streaming: DAZN

Watch Club World Cup free on DAZN

What time is Bayern vs. PSG?

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayern Munich is scheduled to kick off at 12 p.m. ET.

Bayern Munich vs. PSG lineups today

PSG vs. Bayern Munich odds

Odds via BetMGM, as of 9:30 a.m. ET

Regular time result

PSG +135
Draw +260
Bayern Munich +180

To advance

PSG -135
Bayern Munich +105

PSG can ‘take our revenge’ vs. Bayern

PSG can avenge a defeat that marked their lowest point this past season when they face Bayern Munich.

On Nov. 26, PSG suffered a 1-0 loss to Bayern that marked a third consecutive defeat in the UCL league chase and put their chances of progressing in danger. Kim Min-jae scored in the 38th minute and PSG star Ousmane Dembele was sent off for his second booking in the 56th in what was a dominant performance by the German side. But the Parisians rebounded to win their last three league phase games and advance, then stormed to the title while defeating Liverpool, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Inter Milan along the way.

Despite that eventual triumph, PSG forward Bradley Barcola admitted this week that the loss would still be on his team’s mind heading into Saturday’s rematch.

‘This could be a very good moment to take our revenge,’ Barcolo said in an interview with RMC Sport. ‘When we faced them earlier this season, we weren’t in a great moment. Now I think we can do much better in this game. Are we favorites? I don’t know, but when we play like this, I think we’re unstoppable.’

– Field Level Media

The New York Yankees were already limping into the second half of the season. Now, they’ll find themselves yet another arm short as they try to stop the bleeding in the American League East. 

Right-hander Clarke Schmidt will likely undergo Tommy John surgery, manager Aaron Boone announced Saturday, which would end Schmidt’s season and likely keep him shelved through most of 2026. 

The elbow reconstruction is the Yankees’ second this year, following ace and reigning Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole going under the knife during spring training. And it comes with the Yankees having lost five in a row and 15 of their past 21. 

That skid took them from a 4 ½-game lead in the East to two games behind the Toronto Blue Jays and tied for second with the Tampa Bay Rays. And it further weakens their rotation depth as they await the return of reigning Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, who has been out all season with a lat injury. 

Gil could soon begin a rehab assignment and is expected to be back by the end of this month. 

Schmidt, 29, wasn’t so fortunate. He’d been placed on the injured list with forearm discomfort before additional imaging revealed the likely need for major surgery. Schmidt was 4-4 with a 3.32 ERA in 14 starts this season, and was part of the Yankees’ playoff rotation last season as they reached the World Series for the first time since 2009. 

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This is Part 3 of a three-part summer series visiting with three former major league All-Stars turned sports dads. They offer sports and life advice about how to make our kids better players, but also how to get the most out of athletic experiences with them. 

This week: Fulfilling professional dreams with Tom, Dee and Nick Gordon while enjoying the ride as fathers and sons.

New York Yankees fans learned a familiar pitching formula in 2004 and 2005. If their team had the lead, they would see Flash Gordon’s biting fastballs and sharp curveballs in the eighth inning, then Mariano Rivera’s lethal cutters in the ninth. A victory was virtually sealed.

The routine often started much earlier in the day, in the New Jersey suburbs where Gordon lived with his teenaged son.

“Daddy, I want to go to the ball field,” Dee Gordon would say as he woke up his dad.

The veteran relief pitcher, now in his mid-to-late 30s, found a personal revival in what came next.

They would go to a nearby diamond at 10:30 or 11 a.m. and get in their work: Father hitting son ground balls, the two talking baseball and soaking up the energy of the interactions he would replicate with similar sessions with another son, Nick.

He would rest for a couple hours, feeling laser focused when he headed to Yankee Stadium.

“That way of doing things took pressure off me,” Tom “Flash” Gordon tells USA TODAY Sports. “I had such a regimen with working with them, where it was taking stress off my mind. And then when it was time for me to get ready to go, I can ease back into it, and then I can go as hard as I can go. They helped me just as much as I helped them.”

It’s the way youth sports can work for parents and kids. Dee and Nick both reached the major leagues, which Flash credits to their determination to climb above their competitors, but also to a path to success his mother and father set him and his siblings along in Avon Park, Florida.

Gordon calls himself an ambassador of sorts these days as he coaches and scouts for Perfect Game, a youth baseball and softball platform.

“I tried to do the very best I could as a father but also I feel like my job is to pass on information that was given to me,” he says.

Gordon, 57, spoke with us about Rivera, Bo Jackson and George Brett, but also the wisdom of Tom and Annie Gordon that drives him, and how we can use it to guide our kids’ travel sports journeys. He offers 10 tips:

1. Approach sports as a love that can last a lifetime

When Flash’s father, also named Tom, took his son to the ballyard, they gassed up, packed sandwiches and headed up into Alabama, Georgia or South Carolina in a parade of cars. It was a real-life barnstorm.

Others came to watch, and the young boy developed an image of what it looked like to be a professional.

 “I got to see not the actual Negro Leagues — the Grays and the Monarchs and teams like that — but these small teams and these small little towns that wanted to be like them,” Flash Gordon says. “It was a Negro league for them, and it was something that they needed.”

His father never graduated from high school, never came close to the opportunities his son had, but he embraced the life a game had given him.

“He never thought he’d be a major league baseball player,” Gordon says of his father. “He probably never thought that his son would and then grandsons, but what he did believe in is that he loved baseball so much to where you keep playing it, or play a sport or do something you love, until it’s out of you in regards to you don’t have the same drive to do it.

“And I was really proud of him because he could have easily said, ‘Son, I play every Sunday, and I work as hard as I could go, and I was hoping that maybe somebody would see me and like me as a player.’ (He was a good pitcher.) And they never did. But he never let that deter him from being our best supporter, our best parent, our best love, and a guy that always wanted to hear how our day went.”

2. It’s not your sports career, it’s your kids’: Parents’ job is to provide the experience

Late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner once offered advice that Flash continues to use when he’s at the Florida car dealerships he and his brothers own: It’s important to be here, but it’s more important for you to leave something behind.

“The knowledge you have, just give that, leave it, because when you’re gone, it’s not yours to take with you,” Flash says.

He saw his parents’ dedication to not only their jobs, but their roles as parents. Annie was at all of her sons’ local games but also carefully sketched out activities for their sister, he says, ‘to create things in her life that kept her motivated and happy and excited about growing up as a kid in our household.”

“My mom was a stickler in staying on top of your grades,” he says. “Being the oldest, you wanted to make sure that the chores around the house were done. … I don’t think I would have made it to the major leagues, I don’t think I would have been the person that I’ve had an opportunity to become without the leadership of my parents. And I see it in my brothers, how they deal with people, respond to people. It’s almost like seeing my brothers be just like my mom in a lot of ways; they have that gentle smile before they make a decision.”

3. Scouts look at the full person, not just their ability

As he scowled from the mound, Flash thought he was tough. But he says he has plenty of his mom in him, too.

Annie has helped him understand, as he roves around to showcases and events, what constitutes the most elite players.

“You’re looking at social media and the stuff that they’re doing, it’s almost like they’re already gratified, they’re already at that point where, ‘Hey, I’ve shown a scout that I’m going to be great. I can hit home runs, shoot 3-pointers, I can hit a volleyball or whatever on videos and show ’em that I got a chance to be great,” Gordon says. “Well, guess what? The coach and the scout have not been around you long enough to see if you’re a quality enough of a person to make everybody around you better.

“It looks good when you do all these things on video, but now I need to come to your house and ask your parents whether or not you do your chores on time, do you look out for your brothers and sisters, or are you someone that they have to stay on and have to constantly be motivated to do something.”

4. Let your kids’ sports motivation come from within

Flash’s son, Dee Strange-Gordon, was drafted in the fourth round by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008 and became a two-time All-Star. But his first sports love was basketball.

“All of a sudden, it was like, ‘Daddy, could you buy me a bat? Could you buy me a glove?’ Yes, yes!’ ” Flash says. “It’s only because they’re around it so much. … This game wasn’t pushed on them to where they had to play.

“Let it be about them and their career and just be more motivated to help them the best way you possibly can, reminding them, for the most part, and Nicholas had a tough time sometimes with this one: Nothing comes easy, son.”

5. Whether you are in the dugout or bleachers, allow your son or daughter to be coached

Before Nick Gordon was drafted in the first round in 2014 and would play 338 big-league games, Flash coached him in travel ball.

“I moved my son from shortstop to second base. Sometimes I played him at third,” Flash says. “He felt like, well, that’s the wrong decision to make. However, I have to make the decision best for the entire team, not just for the fact that you’re my son.

“Be willing to allow your coach to coach your child, and then sit back in the stands and observe and watch the process. … The toughest thing for a parent is when a coach changes your son’s position, and maybe you don’t think that’s the right way. However, you’re looking at it from a parent’s perspective outside, and he’s looking at it [from] the coach’s perspective on the ground, boots down.”

6. The most elite players have pregame routines

After Flash Gordon was drafted by Kansas City in the sixth round in 1986, he reported to the rookie-level Gulf Coast League in Sarasota, Florida. He was a hotshot high schooler who found himself up against another Kansas City Royals prospect named Linton Dyer. Dyer’s nickname was “Lightning.”

“Flash vs. Lightning,” another Royals prospect, Bo Jackson, observed, coining Gordon’s moniker.

Gordon was 20 when he reached the majors. He found out how much he didn’t know, when Brett called him over to his locker.

“I don’t see a routine, son,” the future Hall of Famer said.

Brett did the same thing every day. He arrived, put on his shorts, and headed off to hit and watch video.

“The routine as a parent at home, getting up, those things change sometimes,” Flash says, “but when you have a game that’s being played at 7 o’clock, it’s time for you to get a routine at 3 p.m. and have that routine ready to go and make sure that you capture those goals through that routine until game time.

“I really appreciated Mark Gubicza and Bret Saberhagen. Those guys had great routines and prepared, they paid attention in the meetings, and it just inspired me to want to try and see if I could do more of that and become that much of a better baseball player.”

7. We don’t ever want to tear kids down, but we can use constructive criticism to motivate them

Gordon learned in the majors that teammates wanted to know when they weren’t pulling their weight.

“Every now and then it’s OK to let them know you were not that good today,” he says. “Sometimes, as a leader, you have to be reminded that it ain’t just about the way you see things. It’s about team. We’re trying to promote winning. Sometimes players think about things a week down the road when we right now are in this struggle with this other team to beat them three out of four. In the major leagues, guys come there, they all think they’re ready to play, and everyone’s coming to watch them. I was there. I know what it feels like. But sometimes that criticism puts things back into perspective.”

8. Taking nothing for granted when you reach the upper levels of sports

Sometimes Flash will look at his phone, and see that it’s Bo Jackson calling, and say to himself: “What have I done now?”

Bo always gave it to Flash straight if he felt he was just going through the motions.

“Hey, you’re in the major leagues,” Jackson would tell the younger player. “Every day you take nothing for granted here. You go as hard as you can because you never know when that day that you can’t play again happens. You get hurt, you may not ever be able to play again. Things don’t go well, you may not find that way of being able to progress.”

Even when our kids reach high school sports, there is no guarantee they will play. Each game, each sliver of playing time within that game, presents an opportunity.

Gordon tells kids there are always three things they can control: Your preparation, your attitude and your emotions.

“If you do those things,” he says, “you make my job easier, and I can help you become a much better baseball player, a much better person.”

9. Find calm before you go into the storm

Gordon was in his 15th full major-league season when he got to the Yankees. When he walked into the clubhouse, he’d see Rivera two lockers away. Rivera’s routine was to sit there. Nothing, it seemed, could disrupt the guy who would become baseball’s all-time saves leader.

“We could have a bonfire in the middle of the clubhouse,” Gordon says.

He was putting himself in that space of mindfulness and focus where pitchers thrive. The practice kept him fresh and motivated, and it was one Gordon realized he liked himself.

10. Your No. 1 asset is being a good teammate

When Flash came up with the Royals, he had lived with Jackson and his wife, Linda. He was a part of the family to the point where Bo’s kids called him their brother.

Gordon had just been told by then-Arizona Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch he had been released after what would be his final major-league game in 2009, when he was reminded of that feeling. He walked out of Hinch’s office, and each of his teammates was there to hug him.

“There’s not a coach I’ve ever come across that’s not willing to give you great information to help make you better when you’re a good teammate,” he says.

He couldn’t stop crying and yet he was at peace, like he had felt in those days when he and Dee were on the field in New Jersey.

“With everything that we have today, technology and the Internet, and everything that’s out there, kids’ lives start to get overshadowed with them being athletes and other things that they’re doing,” he says. “Just stay at a place where you’re more of a listener than you are someone that’s giving advice. You don’t have o. Sometimes just watching gives you the best perspective. Just be there for their journey.”

Read Part II: World Series champ shares how to maximize high school, college potential

Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.