TEMPE, Ariz. — He was one of baseball’s greatest young players, a two-time All-Star shortstop for the Chicago White Sox, a batting champion and Silver Slugger winner with the bravado and desire to be the face of baseball.

These days, he’s playing center field for the first time in his life, batting seventh, wearing No. 77 for the Los Angeles Angels and is on a minor-league contract trying to make a club that hasn’t had a winning season in a decade.

It’s been a minute for Tim Anderson.

It was just three years ago when Anderson hit .300 for the fourth consecutive year, making the All-Star team in back-to-back years, and hoping to sign another long-term contract extension to keep him with the White Sox for the rest of his career.

The next thing he knows, he’s struggling through injuries, family problems are emerging in the tabloids and he’s getting knocked out in a brawl. His performance cratered, the White Sox gave up on him, he signed with the Miami Marlins for 2024 but was released July 5 – and spent the remainder of the summer sitting home unemployed.

The Angels gave him a lifeline in late January, offering him a minor-league contract with no guarantees, paying him just $1.25 million if he makes the team.

Anderson grabbed it and here he is now, trying to make the most of an opportunity that he wasn’t sure would ever come.

“They’re really emphasizing to me to remember who I am,’ Anderson tells USA TODAY Sports. “You know I never forgot. I never forgot. I just went through a tough stretch.’

A stretch that sent Anderson’s career spiraling down into a dark hole, from which he wasn’t sure he could escape.

“It was a little of everything,’ Anderson says. “I had a lot going on. And we’re talking about things that not only you guys [media] see. I had a whole lot of stuff going on behind the scenes. Losing my grandmother. A whole lot of stuff man that I’d rather not share.

“But, you know, it’s life, man. Life comes at you hard.’

Anderson, who hit .318 with an .820 OPS from 2019-2022, averaging 22 homers, 37 doubles, 71 RBI and 23 stolen bases, was never the same. He tore a finger ligament and missed 83 games in 2022. His batting average plummeted by 56 points with a career-low .582 OPS in 2023. And he played just 65 games, producing only three extra-base hits with his .214 batting average, when he was released last July by the Marlins.

No one even bothered to pick him up all summer.

It gave Anderson time to gather himself, finally relax, shed all of the negativity and get prepared for a rebirth on the playing field.

“It’s just one of those things that I live in front of everybody,’ Anderson says. “So now everybody gets a chance to see me fight adversity. The biggest thing is how you respond.’

There are plenty of theories on why Anderson’s game deteriorated, whether it was the injuries, the off-the-field drama and of course, the punch that was heard throughout baseball.

It was Aug. 5, 2023 when Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez slid hard into second base, stood up and got into it with Anderson. Punches were thrown, but only one landed, with Ramirez knocking Anderson to the ground.

It’s something Anderson refuses to talk about in the present day.

The Angels believe Anderson’s drop-off was a combination of factors that simply became too much for him to handle.

“I told him that when he first got here this is a new start,’ Angels manager Ron Washington said. ‘If your head and [stuff] gets [messed] up, you caused it. You don’t need to get your head [messed] up. You need to stay in the process, work and get better just like you always did when your game was tight.

‘The last couple of years, there’s reason why your game wasn’t tight as it used to be. You had personal issues, all kinds of [stuff] was going on, and your game got lost in the shuffle.

‘Now you got a chance to find your game by staying in the process and easing into it. Don’t try to prove anything to anyone. Just get the work you need every single day, and your game will come back.

“And it has. He’s really in a good place mentally.’

‘He got embarrassed on live TV’

The Angels are doing everything possible to show Anderson they’re here for him. They have him in the weight room every day. They have him taking infield drills early every morning. And to make him more valuable, are making him versatile, playing center field for the first time Wednesday after also playing second base and shortstop this spring.

“We’re trying to give him love, man, because the last couple of year he ain’t gotten none,’ Washington said. “The last couple of years, people just bashed him. The last couple of years, he got embarrassed. He got embarrassed on live TV when a guy threw a punch at him.

“And all of it had to do with the fact that he had issues, man. He caused some of it, but still the organization didn’t support him. Then, he found himself out there all by himself. He had to try to put his family back together with their family problems.

“So you’re trying to put all that [stuff] back together, try to play, and then he got the [stuff] whipped out of him on live TV.’

The Angels, who plan to play Anderson only occasionally in center field, have focused on making him stronger. He had trouble hitting the ball out of the infield in 2024, and has just one homer since July 27, 2022. This spring, he homered in his seventh at-bat. He had not pulled a fly ball in a regular-season game since Aug. 26, 2023, spanning 352 plate appearances.

He was flawless in center field Wednesday fielding two singles in front of him against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He hit a sharp single in his first at-bat, and promptly stole second base. Still, he hardly is a finished product, batting .150 this spring. But it’s a start.

“The first week here, man, I’m telling you, the ball wasn’t coming off his bat,’ Washington said. “It was coming out like a wet newspaper. We made him get into the weight room, something he never did in Chicago. I went to the strength and conditioning guys and told them, ‘I want him to be a project. I want you to go looking for him. I want to let him know that we care. … Because mentally, that sets a standard to let him know that somebody cares about him.’

“Now, guess what happens? Guys come up to me and say, ‘Wash, we’re ready to get him, but can’t find him.’ He’s already in the weight room.

“So that’s what I want. I want him to know we give a damn. I want him to know we got our eyes on him every day. Every day we’re watching what the hell he does.

“We’re just trying to bring him back, man. He’s much more relaxed. He’s much more confident.

“He’s starting to look like Tim Anderson again.’

Anderson feels the love, appreciates the support and wants to repay the Angels for the faith they’ve shown in him.

He’s still only 31 and ready to start the second chapter of his career, feeling like his old self once again.

“It’s all happened for the good,’ Anderson says. “It might have looked bad, but over time, we’ll see what happens. Hopefully, I can keep staying with that positive energy and keep staying around positive people, and keep around people that want me to be better.

“I think I’ll get where I need to be.’

So go ahead, Anderson says, you can choose to remember him as the All-Star player who made the mistakes.

Or you can remember Anderson as the man who made those mistakes memorable.

“I’m finally able to get back to where I am right now and get better,’ Anderson said. “I’m comfortable. I’m feeling good. Mentally, I’m good. Physically I’m good.

“I’m just excited to go out there and play again.’

It’s that simple.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

The debate over expanding the NCAA men’s basketball tournament isn’t really a debate. 

It’s just a math equation. 

While the consensus in college sports is that expansion from 68 teams to 72 or 76 is inevitable – largely because the commissioners of the SEC and Big Ten want it – NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt has gone on a media tour recently insisting that the issue is far from settled. 

‘I couldn’t predict as I sit here today what the outcome is going to be,’ Gavitt told CBS Sports last week. 

There’s a good – and simple – reason for that. 

Expanding the NCAA Tournament is going to be expensive. Unless you can guarantee that schools and conferences won’t lose money by expanding, what’s the point? 

And that’s where the math comes in. 

Let’s say the tournament expands to 76. That means four additional games, likely played on Tuesday and Wednesday before the quote-unquote ‘real tournament’ starts on Thursday. 

Keep in mind: We already have two play-in games on Tuesday and Wednesday, broadcast on TruTV. So essentially, expanding the tournament means that you’ll have four games instead of two on each of those days. 

There’s only one question that matters here: What’s that worth to the television networks? 

According to the NCAA, last year’s four play-in games drew ‘a total of 6.2 million viewers,’ which is pretty good for a normal college basketball audience and especially on TruTV, the relatively obscure channel where Turner Sports has parked those games. Still, it’s well short of the 8.53 million average for the Thursday and Friday first-round games.

What that means is the general public – the folks who don’t really watch much college basketball but enter their bracket in the office pool and pump up the ratings for March Madness – still considers Thursday the real start of the tournament. Which it is. 

What CBS and Turner need to assess is whether fans and viewers will change their habits and migrate to the Tuesday/Wednesday games or whether they’ll continue to treat them like play-ins. In some ways, it’s a test of the NCAA Tournament as a cultural institution. That Thursday start is so ingrained in American life – almost like an unofficial national holiday – that unmooring it might not be so easy. 

Yes, you can put competitive matchups with big brands on Tuesday and Wednesday, but that also means six straight full days of college basketball programming. Is it overkill? Will the audience be there to support CBS and Turner paying many millions more for those four extra games? 

And make no mistake: It’s going to cost a lot of money to make expansion worth the NCAA’s while. 

Let’s get into some simple math. Every team that makes the NCAA Tournament earns a so-called ‘unit’ of revenue for its conference and then earns subsequent units for each round it advances. Those units are worth about $2 million apiece. 

If you add eight teams to the field, you need to generate $16 million right there, not to mention the millions in extra costs for facilities, travel, food, staff and so forth that you inherit by adding more games and more teams. 

If that endeavor doesn’t add to the bottom line, it cuts into the revenue pie that everyone else is splitting. It’s hard to imagine broad support for an expansion plan that decreases the average value of a unit. Especially right now, when power conference athletic departments are scrounging for any new revenue to fill the $20-million-plus hole in their budgets brought by the House vs. NCAA settlement. 

That’s really the entire discussion. 

All the conventional arguments against expansion are valid. They’re also kind of irrelevant. 

Yeah, the bubble is already weak enough and it’s silly to reward more mediocrity. Yeah, the more the bracket expands, the more confusing it is for your office pool. Yeah, most of the extra spots are probably going to power conference teams with very ugly résumés. 

None of that matters anymore. If you can figure out how much CBS and Turner are willing to pay for those extra games, you can figure out whether the tournament is going to expand. 

You can safely assume that’s why a significant expansion to 96 teams, which has been floated in the past, is now pretty much off the table. The math just doesn’t math. 

But going to 72 or 76 is a different calculation. It’s doable – if the TV partners are on board. 

‘The committees are giving it more consideration than at any time in my 10-plus years at the NCAA,’ Gavitt told Field of 68. ‘At the end of the day, there’s no intended outcome here. One outcome is no expansion at all and if there is a recommendation to expand, it would likely be modest in nature.’

The big expansion talk started in 2022 when the SEC got a disappointing six bids and Greg Sankey started to rattle the saber about automatic qualifiers from small conferences taking away opportunities from power conference teams, especially as his league and the Big Ten expand.

But as we’ve seen this season, that isn’t really true. As of today, the SEC and Big Ten are poised to combine for more than 20 and perhaps as many as 25 teams in this year’s field. They don’t really need to engineer more spots for themselves. 

Everyone involved needs to be careful. Adding eight teams wouldn’t ruin the tournament, but it would change it. If you want people to watch those Tuesday-Wednesday games, you can’t give them a bunch of Grambling State-Montana State playing for the right to be the 16 seed. 

At the same time, do two struggling name brands like Texas and Villanova playing for a 13 seed move the needle much either? Both of those schools are likely to miss the tournament this year. If it expands by eight, they’d both likely be in. 

If you’re an executive at CBS or Turner, how much is that game really worth and how quickly can you get America to start watching the tournament on Tuesday?

Smart people are undoubtedly working on those answers right now. They’re the ones who will ultimately decide whether expansion happens or not.  

Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers were back in action Thursday against the New York Knicks.

Dončić got off to a fast start in the first quarter, reaching double-digit points (13) after 12 minutes of play. He finished with a team-high 32 as the Lakers won a thriller in overtime, 113-109. They’ve won eight in a row.

Before the game, Dončić was on the injury report with a right knee contusion and listed as probable for a second straight game. His previous injury designation had been for ‘left calf injury management.’

Dončić has averaged 22.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game since joining the Lakers.

Here’s how Dončić performed Thursday night.

Luka Doncic stats vs. Knicks

Points: 32
FG: 9-for-23
3PT: 4-for-12
FT: 10-for-12
Rebounds: 7
Assists: 12
Steals: 4
Blocks: 0
Turnovers: 5
Fouls: 5
Minutes played: 43

Lakers vs. Knicks highlights

Lakers’ next game

The Lakers will travel to play the Boston Celtics on Saturday, March 8 (8:30 p.m. ET). The game will air on ABC.

INDIANAPOLIS – The New England Patriots are back atop the NFL … insomuch as they’re set to have significantly more spending power than any other team in the league when free agency kicks off next week.

“We’re going to do what we think is best. We have to do what’s necessary. So last year, we didn’t do enough of what was necessary. This year, we have to do what’s necessary to improve the team,” Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said at the scouting combine last week.

Projected to have – by far – a league-high $127 million to dole out, the Pats are in prime position to take a deep dive into the veteran acquisition pool. No other team is even within $30 million of New England, which can begin recruiting unsigned veterans Monday. However, free agents can’t begin signing with new teams until 4 p.m. ET on March 12, the start of the new league year.

“I mean, we took some swings,” Wolf said, referencing his approach last year, his first leading the front office following the departure of longtime coach (and personnel czar) Bill Belichick.

“(T)aking swings ultimately, isn’t good enough. We went 4-13. We have to have results. And so, you know, we took some swings at some of those guys and came up short. And that’s not an excuse. That’s just what happened. So we need to continue to improve the roster, whether they’re weapons, whether it’s the line, whether it’s the defense, just in all phases.”

Here’s a ranking of 11 teams, from least to most, poised to make significant splashes this offseason (salary cap projections courtesy of Over The Cap):

11. San Francisco 49ers

They’ve already agreed to trade WR Deebo Samuel. They’ve taken calls on WR Brandon Aiyuk. They’re working on a long-awaited extension for QB Brock Purdy, who’s newly eligible for it. And that might just be the start. Though GM John Lynch only has $33.8 million to spend at present, he is scheduled to have at least 12 picks in the draft – the kind of bounty that can help open other doors for a team that’s come up just short of its sixth Super Bowl victory so many times in recent years.

10. Washington Commanders

The trade for Samuel is all but official, and GM Adam Peters has $64 million to play with to bolster the roster around transcendent Jayden Daniels – perhaps the greatest freshman quarterback ever on the heels of his Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign, which extended all the way to the NFC championship game. However, Peters is light on the draft front, Washington lacking picks in Rounds 4 and 5.

TOP 25* FREE AGENTS: Best NFL veterans who could be on the move

9. Cleveland Browns

They don’t figure to be major players in free agency, though did become cap compliant Thursday by restructuring Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed deal. Again. The injured quarterback’s specter will likely hover over this organization for at least one more year – mostly meaning the remainder of his regrettable contract given multiple Achilles surgeries mean the highly unpopular player (with fans, anyway) may have taken his final snap for Cleveland. Still, possessing the No. 2 pick of the draft among their dozen selections means the Browns will either have the ability to shake it up or shake up their roster – especially if they tab Watson’s replacement.

But their real trump card is DE Myles Garrett. The club’s brain trust is currently denying the four-time All-Pro’s request to leave Cleveland. But if EVP/GM Andrew Berry capitulates, which would likely occur closer to the draft if it ever does, then Garrett would almost certainly be the biggest name on the move this offseason – which would doubtless mean a hugely substantial haul for a franchise that could use it.

8. Philadelphia Eagles

Hardly content to rest on his Lombardi laurels, EVP/GM Howie Roseman has already been busy – sending the right message to his championship locker room by giving RB Saquon Barkley an early contractual raise before re-signing All-Pro Zack Baun. From a player acquisition standpoint, it doesn’t appear Roseman has a lot of ammo given he’ll mostly be drafting at the end of every round and doesn’t have even $22 million in his cap coffers. But few NFL executives are as aggressive, proactive or creative as Roseman … and there’s already a sense of dread in the league that he might be the one who can extract Garrett from Cleveland.

7. Los Angeles Chargers

What do they have cooking? A team that more than doubled its 2023 win total by going 11-6 in its first year under HC Jim Harbaugh now has more than $90 million in cap space following Wednesday evening’s release of Pro Bowl OLB Joey Bosa. The Bolts have more than enough capacity to extend LT Rashawn Slater while re-signing OLB Khalil Mack and RB J.K. Dobbins should they choose – and a lot more beyond that. GM Joe Hortiz comes from a draft-and-develop operation in Baltimore, but expect his new team to explore veteran options at wideout, defensive line and elsewhere.

6. Las Vegas Raiders

They arrived at a major decision Wednesday, making DE Maxx Crosby, currently the face of this franchise – Tom Brady mostly staying in the shadows – the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history with a three-year extension averaging $35.5 million annually. That will put a dent in the free agent war chest, which had been projected at $95 million, second only to the Patriots. Still, expect the Silver and Black to be active. The Raiders’ need for a quarterback has only grown following the release of Gardner Minshew II, yet they’re in position to buy one (Sam Darnold? Aaron Rodgers?) or draft one – holding four of the top 73 slots, including sixth overall, allowing for significant flexibility to potentially target Cam Ward of Miami (Fla.) or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.

5. Dallas Cowboys

A year ago, owner Jerry Jones vowed to be “all in” for his team after it had won 12 games in each of the three preceding regular seasons. But he decidedly wasn’t – effectively punting on free agency before paying top dollar to extend WR CeeDee Lamb and QB Dak Prescott after dragging his feet on those negotiations for months on end. But on the heels of a 7-10 season that resulted in the departure of HC Mike McCarthy, “America’s Team” seems to be taking a new approach in 2025. Tuesday, Dallas avoided using its franchise tag by extending DT Osa Odighizuwa (4 years, $80 million). Lamb and Prescott also restructured their deals to free up more cash, the Cowboys’ 2025 free agent budget ballooning to $54 million – which could be used to sign veterans, extend star LB Micah Parsons or a combination thereof. Dallas will also pick 12th in the first round and hasn’t drafted earlier than that since 2016, when former RB Ezekiel Elliott came aboard.

4. New York Giants

After they apparently pursued a trade for Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford, rampant rumors persist that a quarterback-starved franchise seeks to elevate from the third spot in the draft in order to ensure it gets a young replacement to build around after the Daniel Jones Experience was terminated early last season. The Giants are also scheduled to draft at the top of the second (34th overall) and third (65th) rounds, meaning they should get really good players … if they don’t have to part with one or both of those picks for, say, Ward. A free agency budget of nearly $47 million will also help embattled GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll, though some of that may be needed to enlist a veteran passer so a rookie doesn’t have to take the reins of a team that will likely be projected to finish last in the NFC East again, regardless of any roster improvements.

3. Chicago Bears

They’ve already bolstered the protection in front of sophomore (and oft-sacked) QB Caleb Williams, acquiring veteran Gs Joe Thuney, a two-time All-Pro, and former Pro Bowler Jonah Jackson for the fairly meager price of two Day 3 draft picks. GM Ryan Poles still has $50 million at his disposal and owns one final chip, a second-round pick, from the 2023 deal with the Panthers that sent Carolina the No. 1 overall pick that year. That means Chicago has three of the first 41 selections, including No. 10 overall, to continue building out this roster around Williams and for rookie HC Ben Johnson, whose hire has already sparked further optimism in the Windy City.

2. Tennessee Titans

When you occupy the top spot in the draft, then – to some degree – you control the draft. The Titans have signaled their desire to pick a “generational” talent – who doesn’t want that? – but don’t necessarily seem wed to making whomever that player is the No. 1 overall selection. If he can successfully incite a bidding war for a rookie quarterback, rookie GM Mike Borgonzi should be able to better jump-start his new employer’s needed overhaul. Doesn’t hurt to have $50 million in his cap pocket, either, and should be interesting to see how aggressive Borgonzi might be in the trade market after working with Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach for so many years.

1. New England Patriots

The ability to overpay for the free agents they’re targeting provides quite an advantage – and owner Robert Kraft is likely to provide that signoff given his desperation to be a contending organization again post-Brady. Newly hired Mike Vrabel, a former player who’s highly respected throughout the league and has already proven his coaching chops in Tennessee, could also be a nice lure – and he’s looking for a bit more horsepower on this roster, too.

“I like to shop like everybody else,” Vrabel said at the combine. “(M)aybe you have to pay a little bit more for that one car, because there’s only one of them.

‘(Y)ou may not have to overspend, but it’s free agency. I think that everybody overspends sometimes in free agency.”

The Patriots shouldn’t have to overspend in the draft unless they choose to. They own nine selections, including four of the top 77. And given they’re sitting at No. 4 overall but don’t need to take a quarterback, they’re in line to get a premium player or perhaps benefit from a QB-needy team eager to move into the top five. Regardless, Wolf and Vrabel appear very well situated to accelerate the rebuild around second-year QB Drake Maye, who needs upgraded weaponry and protection in the worst way.

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

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Lionel Messi sat in a premium on-field suite as his Inter Miami teammates were nearly on the wrong side of a historic letdown against Jamaican Premier League champions Cavalier FC on Thursday night.

The Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 game initially appeared to be a David vs. Goliath matchup between Inter Miami, the reigning MLS Supporters’ Shield winners, and Cavalier FC – which won two of the last four Jamaican league titles, but was outscored 6-0 by MLS side FC Cincinnati during the tournament last year.

Cavalier had several chances to score in the first half – even celebrating a goal that was later negated after a VAR check that lasted several minutes just before halftime. It was unclear which side was David and which one was Goliath until Inter Miami came alive in the second half.

Tadeo Allende scored a left boot in the 61st minute, Luis Suarez scored in the 83rd minute and Inter Miami holds a 2-0 lead in aggregate score against Cavalier FC after the first leg of their Champions Cup matchup at Chase Stadium.

“We’re playing with fire. And when you play with fire, it’s very possible that you’ll get burned,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the match. “It was a game where we were lucky, where the three or four times they had the upper hand, they couldn’t finish off in the best way. And I think that in the second half we were better.”

It was a commendable performance by Cavalier FC for at least the first 83 minutes of the match. Now, Cavalier must hope for a monumental upset in the second leg on March 13 in front of an already-announced sellout crowd of 35,000 people at National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.

Will Messi play in that match? It’s a natural question after the Argentine World Cup champion was given a second night of rest to start the MLS season.

Messi is healthy, uninjured and rested after a match full of adversity, but dealing with fatigue and is considered day to day, Mascherano said.

Before the second leg in Jamaica, Inter Miami hosts Charlotte FC in an MLS regular-season match at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday. So, there’s two more chances for Messi to either suit up or rest this week.

“The doctors have told me that he has no injury. He is fatigued from having played three games in six days,” Mascherano said of Messi.

Messi has not played since Feb. 25 when Inter Miami dispatched Sporting Kansas City in the first round of the Champions Cup. He did not travel to Houston to play against the Dynamo last Sunday, a match Inter Miami won 4-1.

Messi predominately played in three matches during a six-day stretch from Feb. 19-26, and eight matches in a 40-day span from Jan. 18 to Feb. 14 when you include five preseason matches played in Las Vegas, Peru, Panama, Honduras and Tampa, Florida.

However, Messi’s presence was clearly missed as Cavalier pressed Inter Miami with speed on both sides of the field.

Cavalier owned a 3-1 advantage in shots taken after the first half, which Inter Miami flipped to 12-5 in their favor by the end of the match.

Just before halftime, Cavalier forward Shaquille Stein appeared to score following a corner kick. Stein and his teammates celebrated down the field until they reached the bench and hugged their coaches and other teammates on the bench. The celebration lasted about five minutes, and ended after the goal was overturned due to an offside call following a lengthy VAR check.

Cavalier coach and sporting director Rudolph Speid said if a million referees were making the judgement call on the goal, “Just a million less one would’ve made that call.”

“It looked like there was a player in a position that could be offside, but he wasn’t in the play at all,” Speid said. “I thought the goal should have stand.”

Cavalier striker Jalmaro Calvin missed a flying attempt in the 28th minute, his left boot grazing the outside of the right post after a cross from the other side of the field. Calvin nearly scored in the 33rd minute, when his kick was deflected by Inter Miami defender David Martinez and nearly sneaked past goalie Oscar Ustari.

At the end of the night, it was Inter Miami celebrating.

Cavalier, whose players have an average age of 20.2 years old, will turn their focus to upsetting Inter Miami in the second leg in Jamaica next week.

“We’ll let them mourn and feel dejected for a while – it usually helps,” Speid said of his side. “We’ll give them the day off, and we’ll pick it up from there. I can assure they will be motivated for the second leg, even by themselves.”

Inter Miami vs. Cavalier FC highlights

What time is Inter Miami vs. Cavalier FC match? 

The match begins at 8 p.m. ET (9 p.m. in Argentina). 

How to watch Inter Miami vs. Cavalier FC match on TV?

The match will be available to watch on FS2 in English and ViX in Spanish. 

Is Messi playing tonight? 

No, Messi will not play in Inter Miami’s match against Jamaica’s Cavalier FC. He was not listed in Inter Miami’s starting lineup before the match.

What to know about Cavalier FC? 

Cavalier FC is playing in the Champions Cup tournament for the second time in as many years. They qualified directly into the round of 16 by winning the Concacaf Caribbean Cup in December.

The matchup against Inter Miami will be the second time Cavalier has faced MLS competition. Cavalier lost to FC Cincinnati by scores of 2-0 and 4-0 in the first round last year. 

Cavalier FC coach and sporting director Rudolph Speid said Wednesday: “We’re really looking forward to doing well. I think it will inspire a generation of players in Jamaica itself, just because of what will happen. We’ll play them here. Everybody will be watching on TV. And, also in the return leg where we expect a packed stadium, and everybody just talking about the game. That inspiration is much more for the country than just our team.” 

Messi’s upcoming schedule with Inter Miami, Argentina

Messi could play in the following six matches with Inter Miami and the Argentina national team later this month: 

March 9: Inter Miami vs. Charlotte, 4 p.m. ET (MLS)
March 13: Cavalier FC vs. Inter Miami, 8 p.m. ET (Champions Cup) 
March 16: Atlanta vs. Inter Miami, 7 p.m. ET (MLS)
March 21: Uruguay vs. Argentina, 7:30 p.m. ET (World Cup 2026 qualifier)
March 25: Argentina vs. Brazil, 8 p.m. ET (World Cup 2026 qualifier)
March 29: Inter Miami vs. Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. ET (MLS)

The NHL trade deadline is less than 24 hours away.

So far, the NHL season had two blockbuster trades before the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Mikko Rantanen was dealt by the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes and J.T. Miller was traded by the Vancouver Canucks to the New York Rangers.

Also this season, the Avalanche have changed up their goaltending, the Dallas Stars acquired Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci from the San Jose Sharks, the Florida Panthers added Seth Jones and the Tampa Bay Lightning added two forwards.

Other moves will be made in the next day as teams beef up for the playoffs or move veterans for draft picks and prospects.

Here is analysis on the deals that have happened leading up to the NHL trade deadline at 3 p.m. ET on March 7.

TRADE DEADLINE: Team needs | Who has signed extensions?

When is the NHL trade deadline?

The NHL trade deadline is 3 p.m. ET on Friday, March 7.

March 6: Sharks’ Jake Walman out of the lineup

Sharks defenseman Jake Walman wasn’t in the lineup amid a report that he would be traded to the Oilers. Forward Luke Kunin, a pending unrestricted free agent, also was held out.

March 6: Mikko Rantanen in the lineup

Hurricanes forward Mikko Rantanen, who’s the subject of trade speculation, is playing Thursday night against the Bruins.

March 6: Rangers acquire Carson Soucy from Canucks

The Rangers acquire left-shot defenseman Carson Soucy from the Canucks for a third-round pick (originally from San Jose). Soucy, who’s 6-foot-5, has 10 points and 92 blocked shots in 59 games. He’s the fourth defenseman that GM Chris Drury has added this season, joining Will Borgen, Urho Vaakanainen and Calvin de Haan.

March 6: How a trade call works

The NHL posted video of a Central Registry trade call for the Devils’ acquisition of Brian Dumoulin from the Ducks.

March 6: Kraken hold Brandon Tanev out of lineup

The Seattle Times reports the move, which could indicate the Kraken are working to trade the pending unrestricted free agent. He’ll draw interest because he’s a high-energy player who kills penalties.

March 6: Panthers, Jets swap goalies

The Panthers send Chris Driedger to the Jets for Kaapo Kahkonen. This is the third Panthers goalie move in a week. They sent Spencer Knight to the Blackhawks in the Seth Jones trade, then acquired Vitek Vanecek from the Sharks to back up Sergei Bobrovsky. Driedger, a Winnipeg native, and Kahkonen have spent nearly all of the season in the American Hockey League.

March 6: Golden Knights acquire Reilly Smith

Smith was an original Golden Knights player and won a Stanley Cup there in 2023 before being traded to the Penguins. His numbers have dropped in Pittsburgh and with the Rangers. He had 10 goals this season. New York gets forward Brendan Brisson, son of super agent Pat Brisson, and a 2025 third-round pick, according to lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network. Smith had been held out of the lineup the last three games.

March 6: Thursday waiver claims

The Predators claim two players off waivers: forward Jakub Vrana (Capitals) and defenseman Jordan Oesterle (Bruins). The Blue Jackets also claim forward Christian Fischer, who had spent the last one-plus seasons with the Red Wings.

March 6: Panthers acquire Nico Sturm from Sharks

Sturm, who averages a little more than 10 minutes a night, leads the NHL with a 62.7 faceoff winning percentage. The Panthers rank 22nd in that category at 49.4. Florida gives up a 2026 fourth-round pick and also receives a 2027 seventh-rounder.

March 6: Devils acquire Brian Dumoulin from Ducks

The Ducks will retain half his salary and receive a 2025 second-round pick and prospect Herman Traff. Dumoulin, a pending unrestricted free agent, is a steady defensive-minded defenseman who kills penalties. He scored Wednesday night. Dumoulin won Stanley Cup titles with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017. Traff, 19, is a winger playing in Sweden. The Ducks will receive the earlier selection of Edmonton or Winnipeg’s 2025 second-rounders, which New Jersey acquired earlier.

March 5: Lightning acquire Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde

The Lightning land forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde, plus a 2026 fifth-round pick, from the Kraken for forward Mikey Eyssimont, two first-round picks (2026 and 2027) and a 2025 second-round pick. The Lightning’s depth has been thinned since their 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup win because of salary cap concerns. Gourde, a pending unrestricted free agent, was part of those Cup wins and Bjorkstrand is on pace to hit 20 goals for the sixth time in seven seasons. He can move onto the Lightning’s second line and has another year left on his contract.

The Lightning have won nine of their last 10, and this trade is a sign that they’re going for it. Tampa Bay is always willing to deal draft picks to keep the championship window alive. The first-rounders, which are top-10 protected, will help the Kraken long-term with the team out of the playoff picture. The Kraken retain 50% of Gourde’s salary and the Red Wings retain 25% in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick.

March 5: Panthers acquire Vitek Vanecek from Sharks

This deal is a follow to the Seth Jones trade, in which the Panthers sent goalie Spencer Knight to the Blackhawks. Vanecek, a pending unrestricted free agent, will fill the backup role behind Sergei Bobrovsky. The Panthers had the room to take on the remainder of Vanecek’s $3.4 million cap hit after they placed Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve. The Sharks get Patrick Giles, 25, a 6-foot-5 former Boston College forward who has played all but nine games of his professional hockey career in the American Hockey League.

March 5: Predators, Penguins make trade

Forward Michael Bunting and a 2026 fourth-round pick go to Nashville for forward Tommy Novak and defenseman Luke Schenn. This deal is obviously for the future because both teams are out of the playoff hunt. Plus Bunting (appendectomy) is on the injured list. He has another year on his contract, Novak has two and Schenn has one. Bunting, who has 14 goals, was acquired last season in the Jake Guentzel trade. Novak has 13 goals. Penguins GM Kyle Dubas also moved out defenseman Vincent Desharnais on Wednesday as he remakes the team.

March 5: Sharks acquire Vincent Desharnais from Penguins

The Penguins receive a 2028 fifth-round pick. The defenseman played only 10 games (no points) with Pittsburgh after arriving last month from the Canucks as part of the Marcus Pettersson trade. Desharnais played 16 games during the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final. He has another year left on his contract.

Also: Rangers forward Reilly Smith sat out a third consecutive game for trade-related reasons.

March 4: Oilers acquire Trent Frederic in three-team trade

The Edmonton Oilers acquired pending unrestricted free agent forward Trent Frederic from the Boston Bruins, with the New Jersey Devils getting involved to help retain part of his salary. Frederic’s offensive numbers have dropped this season, but he’s valuable in the playoffs because of his feisty style of play. Edmonton, which reached Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season, has been missing that this season after Evander Kane had multiple surgeries. Frederic is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Boston gets two draft picks and defenseman Max Wanner, a 2021 seventh-round pick, in the trade.

Here are the details of the trade:

Trade 1: Boston Bruins trade Trent Frederic (50% salary retained) to New Jersey Devils in exchange for unsigned draft choice Petr Hauser.

Trade 2: New Jersey trades Trent Frederic (50% salary retained) to Edmonton in exchange for unsigned draft choice Shane Lachance.

Trade 3: Boston trades Max Jones and unsigned draft choice Petr Hauser to Edmonton in exchange for Max Wanner, St. Louis’ second-round pick in 2025 (owned by Edmonton) and Edmonton’s own fourth-round selection in 2026.

March 1: Panthers acquire Seth Jones from Blackhawks

The Florida Panthers send goalie Spencer Knight and a conditional 2026 first-round pick (which could move to 2027) to the Chicago Blackhawks for defenseman Seth Jones and a 2026 fourth-round pick. The Blackhawks retain 26% of his salary. Jones’ recent comments expressing frustration with the team’s play essentially pushed the trade. The Panthers get a right-shot defenseman who plays big minutes after losing right-shot Brandon Montour to free agency last summer. Knight, who won’t be stuck behind Sergei Bobrovsky any more, gets a chance to prove he can become a No. 1 goalie. Knight and the first-rounder are a good return, considering trade demands usually put teams at a disadvantage.

TRADE GRADE: Who won Seth Jones trade?

March 1: Wild acquire Gustav Nyquist from Predators

The Minnesota Wild give up a 2026 second-round pick to the Nashville Predators, who retain 50% of pending unrestricted free agent Gustav Nyquist’s $3.185 million salary. Minnesota is in need of help at forward because of injuries to Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek. Though Nyquist has struggled along with the Predators this season, he had 75 points last season. This is the second time the Wild have made a deadline deal for Nyquist. They previously acquired him in 2023 and he had five points in three regular-season games plus five points in six playoff games. He signed with the Predators as a free agent in July 2023.

March 1: Avalanche acquire Ryan Lindgren from Rangers

The Colorado Avalanche acquired defenseman Ryan Lindgren from the New York Rangers in a five-player deal involving two draft picks. The Rangers retain 50% of Lindgren’s salary. He plays a top-four role, which Colorado has needed after trading Bowen Byram last season, and kills penalties. Lindgren, who had two recent two-assist games but often seems to get hurt, and forward Jimmy Vesey are pending unrestricted free agents, so the Rangers get something in return. Juuso Parssinen, 24, is a pending restricted free agent who played a depth role in Colorado. This is his second trade of the season. Calvin de Haan is a pending UFA with 676 games of regular season experience.

Feb. 24: Red Wings trade Ville Husso to Ducks

The Detroit Red Wings get goaltender Ville Husso’s $4.75 million cap hit off their books. Husso has played only nine games with the Red Wings and had spent much of the season in the American Hockey League. Detroit receives future considerations in the deal. The Anaheim Ducks sent Husso to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, where goalie Calle Clang is out with an injury.

Feb. 1: Stars acquire Mikael Granlund, Cody Ceci from Sharks

The Dallas Stars give up a 2025 first-round pick and a conditional third-round pick for forward Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci. Dallas was short on both positions because forwards Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment are injured, as are defensemen Miro Heiskanen and Nils Lundqvist.

Granlund led the Sharks with 45 points in 52 games and will add to a solid forward group, especially with Marchment getting closer to returning. Ceci led San Jose in ice time and blocked shots. Both newcomers are pending unrestricted free agents. The conditional third-round pick will be a fourth-rounder if the Stars don’t reach the Stanley Cup Final.

Jan. 31: Rangers acquire J.T. Miller in deal with Canucks

The New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks, two teams in the midst of disappointing seasons, swung a big trade Friday night they hope will shake things up for the better.

Vancouver shipped center J.T. Miller along with Erik Brannstrom and Jackson Dorrington to the Rangers in exchange for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini and a conditional first-round pick in the 2025 draft, the teams announced. The pick is top-13 protected, according to multiple reports.

The Canucks weren’t done dealing Friday, either, flipping that first-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a separate deal, along with Danton Heinen, Vincent Desharnais and Melvin Fernstrom. They got back Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor. – Jace Evans

ANALYSIS: Who won the trade?

Jan. 31: Flyers, Flames swap forwards in four-player trade

Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost went to Calgary and Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2028 seventh-rounder went to Philadelphia. The deal was announced early Friday morning following the two teams’ games.

Farabee, a two-time 20-goal scorer, and Frost, who has hit double digits three times, can give the Flames scoring depth as the team tries to hold on to a playoff spot. Farabee is signed through 2027-28 and Frost is a pending restricted free agent.

Kuzmenko, a pending unrestricted free agent, wasn’t going to be re-signed in Calgary after the former 39-goal scorer (with Vancouver) had four goals this season. But it gives the Flyers a chance to see how he fares with Russian rookie Matvei Michkov, a fellow former Kontinental Hockey League player. Pelletier can fit in the Flyers’ bottom six forward group and kills penalties. He’ll be a restricted free agent.

Jan. 31: Golden Knights sign Brandon Saad for rest of the season

Not a trade, but the Vegas Golden Knights made an addition ahead of the deadline. They signed forward Brandon Saad (pro-rated $1.5 million) for the rest of the season after he was cut loose by the St. Louis Blues. The Blues had waived the two-time Stanley Cup winner, but the sides agreed to terminate the rest of his contract so he could become a free agent. Saad’s numbers (seven goals) have dropped off this season, but he scored 26 last season.

Jan. 27: Islanders acquire Scott Perunovich from Blues

The New York Islanders give up a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick for Scott Perunovich to address another injury on their blue line. The trade was announced after Ryan Pulock (upper body) was placed on the injured list. Perunovich had six points in 24 games with the St. Louis Blues this season. Last week, the Islanders signed free agent defenseman Tony DeAngelo for the remainder of the season because Noah Dobson is out with a lower-body injury.

Jan. 24: Mikko Rantanen traded in blockbuster deal

The Colorado Avalanche no longer have to worry whether they can fit pending free agent Mikko Rantanen in their salary structure. The two-time 100-point scorer was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for Martin Necas, Jack Drury, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder. The Hurricanes also get Taylor Hall from the Chicago Blackhawks, who retained 50% of Rantanen’s salary.

The Avalanche pay MVP Nathan MacKinnon $12.6 million a year, and that was likely their top limit for Rantanen. Though Colorado loses a prolific scorer, Necas is the Hurricanes’ top scorer and is signed through next season. Drury is also signed through 2025-26 and will be a restricted free agent.

Last year, the Hurricanes were also aggressive before the deadline, but they lost in the second round and weren’t able to re-sign Jake Guentzel.

Dec. 28: Nashville Predators, Colorado Avalanche make trade

The Nashville Predators called up forward Vinnie Hinostroza, the American Hockey League’s leading scorer, then traded forward Juuso Parssinen to the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche also get a 2026 seventh-round pick and the Predators get back forward Ondrej Pavel and a 2027 third-round pick.

Hinostroza, a 374-game NHL veteran, signed a two-year deal with the Predators in the offseason but had spent the entire season in the AHL. So has Pavel. Parssinen had five points in 15 games with Nashville this season. The Predators and Avalanche swapped backup goaltenders earlier in the season.

Dec. 18: Rangers trade Kaapo Kakko to Kraken

The New York Rangers get back defenseman Will Borgen and 2025 third- and sixth-round picks in exchange for Kaapo Kakko, the No. 2 overall pick of 2019. The trade happened less than a day after Kakko complained about being a healthy scratch. ‘It’s just easy to take the young guy and put him out,’ he said Tuesday. ‘That’s how I feel.’

Kakko, 23, has never matched the expectation of being that high a pick, getting 40 points in his top season in 2022-23. He has 14 points this season and was named by Finland to the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The trade is the second recent shake-up move by the sliding Rangers, who dealt captain Jacob Trouba, a defenseman, to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6. Borgen, who was taken by the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft, had 20 or more points and averaged nearly 200 hits the past two seasons but has just two points and a minus-13 rating this season.

In other Dec. 18 trades:

The Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators swapped defensemen with Justin Barron, 23, heading to Nashville in exchange for Alexandre Carrier, 28. Carrier signed a three-year deal this offseason and gives the Canadiens a veteran right-shot defenseman. The Predators save $2.6 million in cap space.

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired defenseman P.O. Joseph from the St. Louis Blues for future considerations. Joseph will help the Penguins with defenseman Marcus Pettersson out with an injury. Joseph played his first four NHL seasons with Pittsburgh.

Dec. 14: Blues acquire Ducks’ Cam Fowler in trade

The St. Louis Blues give up minor league defenseman Jeremie Biakabutuka and a 2027 second-round pick to land defenseman Cam Fowler, 33, who spent his entire NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks. St. Louis also gets a 2027 fourth-round pick and the Ducks retain about 38.5% of Fowler’s remaining salary.

The Blues, who will be without Torey Krug (ankle) this season, get a veteran defenseman who averages more than 21 minutes a game in ice time. Fowler was moved eight days after the Ducks acquired defenseman Jacob Trouba in a trade.

Dec. 9: Avalanche land Mackenzie Blackwood in goalie trade with Sharks

The Colorado Avalanche’s season-opening goaltending tandem of Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen is out after a subpar start. Now they’re running with Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood after separate trades with the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators, respectively.

The Blackwood trade is the latest one and includes forward Givani Smith and a draft pick going to Colorado, while forward Nikolai Kovalenko and two picks go to San Jose. Blackwood has a .904 save percentage to Georgiev’s .874, and he made 49 saves in his last game. Georgiev was pulled in his second-to-last start.

Dec. 6: Rangers trade Jacob Trouba, extend Igor Shesterkin

The sliding New York Rangers dominated the news Friday by trading captain Jacob Trouba and giving Igor Shesterkin an eight-year extension that makes him the highest-paid NHL goalie.

The Rangers officially announced the extension on Saturday.

The Trouba trade happened first Friday with the Rangers getting back defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a 2025 fourth-round pick. But the biggest part is the Anaheim Ducks took on Trouba’s $8 million cap hit, giving the Rangers flexibility. Trouba, who has struggled this season and didn’t waive his no-trade clause this summer, adds a veteran presence to the young Ducks. He and new teammate Radko Gudas are two of the hardest hitters in the league.

Shesterkin will average $11.5 million in his new deal, according to reports, moving him past Carey Price ($10.5 million) as the top-paid goaltender. The Rangers rely heavily on Shesterkin, who faces a lot of high-danger shots.

Also: The Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens pulled off a minor trade. Forward Jacob Perreault, son of former NHL player Yanic Perreault, heads to Edmonton for defenseman Noel Hoefenmayer.

Nov. 30: Wild acquire defenseman David Jiricek from Blue Jackets

The Minnesota Wild acquired former first-round pick David Jiricek, 21, from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a package that includes 22-year-old defenseman Daemon Hunt and a package of draft picks including a top-five protected 2025 first-round pick. Jiricek, a 2022 sixth-overall pick who had been sent to American Hockey League, will report to the Wild’s AHL team. The other picks heading to Columbus: 2026 third- and fourth-rounders and a 2027 second-rounder. The Wild get a 2025 fifth-round pick.

Nov. 30: Predators, Avalanche swap goaltenders

The Colorado Avalanche acquired backup goalie Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators for backup goalie Justus Annunen and a sixth-round pick. The Avalanche, who have the league’s third-worst team goals-against average, were expected to make some sort of goaltending move but not necessarily this one. Annunen, 24, has slightly better stats this season, but he’s a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Wedgewood, 32, who was signed in the offseason and played five games for the Predators, has another year left on his contract.

Nov. 25: Penguins acquire Philip Tomasino from Predators

Philip Tomasino (one point in 11 games) is the final year of his contract so the struggling Nashville Predators get something in return, a 2027 fourth-round pick. The equally struggling Pittsburgh Penguins get another person for their bottom six. The former first-round pick’s best season was 32 points as a rookie in 2021-22.

Nov. 12: Capitals reacquire Lars Eller in trade with Penguins

Center Lars Eller, 35, is a familiar face for the Washington Capitals after playing in Washington from 2016-23 and winning a Stanley Cup there in 2018. He kills penalties and is strong in the faceoff circle. The Pittsburgh Penguins’ side of the trade might be more interesting. They get a 2027 third-round pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder, and this also could be an indication that the Penguins are shaking up the roster after a disappointing start. Eller’s trade will allow the team to give more ice time to younger players. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent.

Oct. 30: Sharks acquire Timothy Liljegren from Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs get defenseman Matt Benning, a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-rounder. Liljegren, 25, had been limited to one game in Toronto this season, and the Maple Leafs recently committed to blue-liner Jake McCabe with a five-year extension. But Liljegren should fit in well in San Jose, which is building around younger players. Benning, 30, and Liljegren are signed through 2025-26.

This is the second day with an NHL trade after none previously since the season opened in North America.

Oct. 29: Utah acquires defenseman Olli Maatta from Red Wings

The Utah Hockey Club gives up a third-round pick as it addresses a desperate need for a veteran defenseman. Sean Durzi and John Marino are out long-term after surgery. Utah has been leaking goals during a four-game losing streak, including blowing a 4-1 lead late in the third period against the previously winless San Jose Sharks. Maatta is solid defensively and has nearly 700 games of NHL experience.