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Union host Inter Miami, aim to extend home dominance

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May 18, 2022

Union host Inter Miami, aim to extend home dominance

One of just two unbeaten teams at home in the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia Union will put that success up against visiting Inter Miami CF on Wednesday at Chester, Pa.

The Union (5-1-5, 20 points) enter the full slate of mid-week games tied for the top spot in the conference, while riding a run of four consecutive draws.

The most recent deadlock came Saturday when the Union and New York Red Bulls each scored a goal. Daniel Gazdag, the Union’s leading scorer with six goals, delivered just after halftime, with the Red Bulls getting even 19 minutes later despite playing a man down.

Philadelphia is 3-0-3 at home this season, after going 11-3-3 at its own venue last season. But one of those three home defeats in 2021 came against Miami.

The Union were one of five MLS teams last season to allow 35 goals or fewer and have given up nine in 2022, tied for the fewest among all Eastern Conference clubs.

The Union will still be without forward Mikael Uhre (quadriceps), who has missed the past two games. Uhre, a Denmark native, has a goal and an assist over six games (four starts) in his first season with Philadelphia.

“He is improving but still not quite ready to help us (Wednesday),” Union head coach Jim Curtin said. “It is a difficult one because, with the quad, the scans are clean, which is good, but sometimes scans don’t show the whole picture. … We have had a pretty decent run without Mikael and obviously he is going to be a big part of what we do going forward.”

Inter Miami (3-6-2, 11 points) will enter off a 2-2 home tie against D.C. United that ended a run of back-to-back scoreless defeats. Before that, the club was on a three-game winning streak.

Leonardo Campana has six goals to lead Inter Miami, who are just 1-4-0 away from home this season. Only four other players have scored for the club this season.

When Damion Lowe scored just before halftime against D.C. United, it was the first time Campana had not scored or assisted on an Inter Miami goal in MLS play since April 2.

“We go to Philadelphia with real confidence in how we played (against D.C. United), but slightly frustrated with the result in the end,” Inter Miami head coach Phil Neville said. “We just want to keep improving, keep getting better and keep being ruthless.”

–Field Level Media

‘College GameDay’ to kick off at Ohio State-Notre Dame

CWEB

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May 18, 2022

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‘College GameDay’ to kick off at Ohio State-Notre Dame

ABC will air a trio of high-profile college football games over Labor Day weekend, with ESPN kicking off its “College GameDay” coverage with Notre Dame’s visit to Ohio State on Sept. 3.

It’s the 21st visit all-time to Columbus, Ohio, by “GameDay” — more than any other city.

ABC begins game coverage with national champion Georgia, which will meet Oregon at 3:30 p.m. ET in Atlanta. It will represent a homecoming for new Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, who was the defensive coordinator on the Bulldogs’ title team.

That game will be followed by the seventh all-time meeting between Notre Dame and Ohio State at 7:30 p.m. The Buckeyes have won all four games played since 1995.

It marks another return for a new head coach. Marcus Freeman, hired to replace Brian Kelly at Notre Dame, played linebacker for the Buckeyes (2006-08) and began his coaching career there as a graduate assistant.

On Sept. 4, Kelly and his new team, LSU, will meet Florida State at the Superdome in New Orleans at 7:30 p.m. in the first meeting between the teams since 1991.

–Field Level Media

Maple Leafs to retain coach, GM after 6th straight first-round exit

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May 18, 2022

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Maple Leafs to retain coach, GM after 6th straight first-round exit

A sixth straight first-round playoff exit will not lead to the dismissals of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas or coach Sheldon Keefe, team president Brendan Shanahan said Tuesday.

The Maple Leafs notched a franchise-record 115 points in the regular season but opened the Stanley Cup playoffs with a seven-game series loss to the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

Toronto held a 3-2 series lead before losing the final two games, each by one goal.

“We’re not going to make any excuses,” Shanahan said three days after the Game 7 setback. “I thought our players battled hard, I thought that they played well, and they lost to a great hockey team. As players, management and ownership, we share in everybody’s frustration in not getting the job done.

“Certainly, as we look forward to next year, there’s always going to be new faces. That being said, we will not be making changes just simply for the sake of saying we made changes.”

Keefe, who has coached the Maple Leafs for 2 1/2 seasons, guided the club to a stellar 54-21-7 record in the regular season.

Dubas has been general manager for the past four seasons and Toronto has finished more than 10 games above .500 in each of his campaigns. He was the assistant GM the previous four seasons.

“I think that Kyle built a very good hockey team,” Shanahan said of Dubas. “I think he made excellent adjustments along the way, and I think Sheldon is an excellent coach. As we look forward to next year, and getting to work towards next year, I think it’s important to state that I see both of them as being extremely important in getting us to the next level, so that when we do approach next year, and we do come back, that we are ready to take that next step.

“As Kyle said to the players today, the work for next year begins right now. And I look forward to getting to work with Kyle and Sheldon for next season.”

Toronto hasn’t won a playoff series since the 2003-04 season.

–Field Level Media

Al Horford (protocol), Marcus Smart (foot) out for Celtics in Game 1

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May 18, 2022

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Al Horford (protocol), Marcus Smart (foot) out for Celtics in Game 1

Boston Celtics big man Al Horford entered COVID-19 health and safety protocol Tuesday and will miss Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the host Miami Heat.

The Celtics also ruled out point guard Marcus Smart, who was considered a game-time decision due to a right mid-foot sprain.

Horford is averaging 13.0 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks across 11 playoff games (all starts). The 35-year-old played a crucial role in Game 4 of the Celtics’ second-round series with the Milwaukee Bucks, when he scored a playoff career-best 30 points on 11-for-14 shooting to help Boston even that series at two games apiece.

Smart is averaging 15.0 points and 6.2 assists per game in 10 playoff games (all starts), slightly up from his regular-season averages of 12.1 points and 5.9 assists.

He had an MRI exam on Monday that detected a mid-foot sprain, which he suffered during Sunday’s Game 7 triumph over the Bucks.

When Smart missed Game 2 of the Milwaukee series with a thigh contusion, Derrick White started at point guard. Center Robert Williams III, now at full health, could draw back into the starting five in Horford’s absence.

–Field Level Media

LAFC hosting surprisingly tough Austin FC

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May 18, 2022

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LAFC hosting surprisingly tough Austin FC

Not many who follow Major League Soccer closely figured Austin FC would be where it is in the Western Conference standings. Not after a 9-21-4 inaugural season in 2021.

But the club is currently in third place in the West at 6-3-2 and 20 points and is tied with Los Angeles FC, its opponent Wednesday night in California, for the league lead in goals scored with 23.

Forward Sebastian Driussi of Argentina is Austin’s leading goal scorer with seven. The team has scored three or more goals in a match four times this season, and last week signed head coach Josh Wolff to a three-year extension.

Austin FC would be even higher in the standings if not for consecutive losses entering the game against LAFC.

“We need to have the right mentality going on the road, trying to get points and understanding what these games are going to look like,” Wolff told the Austin American-Statesman.

The team is coming off a loss to Real Salt Lake in Utah and opted to stay out west rather than return to Texas.

LAFC (7-2-2, 23 points) leads the Western Conference and is undefeated in six home matches this season with four wins and two draws.

LAFC lost 2-0 to the Colorado Rapids last Saturday, ending a run of 18 straight games with a goal dating back to last season. LAFC has scored in its last 31 home MLS matches dating back to August 2020, the longest active streak in MLS, according to the league website.

LAFC has won all three previous meetings with Austin FC. Forward Carlos Vela’s four goals lead the team this season. But Vela has been less a goal scorer and more a player who sets up teammates for goals this season, and LAFC has found success with its new game plan.

“For all of us it’s been a positive first quarter of the season,” LAFC’s Kellyn Acosta told the Los Angeles Daily News. “Moving forward we’ve got to keep growing. Keep building.

“And we can’t be content with what we’re doing right now because we know we have a higher ceiling and a lot of room to improve.”

–Field Level Media

Tiger Woods hits PGA with leg ‘better than 12 months ago’

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May 18, 2022

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Tiger Woods hits PGA with leg ‘better than 12 months ago’

Tiger Woods is ready to give major competition another go at this week’s PGA Championship in Tulsa, Okla., after making his return to golf at the Masters last month.

Fourteen months after a gruesome single-car accident left his right leg and foot badly injured, to the point that he considered amputation, Woods made the cut at Augusta before struggling through the weekend and finishing 47th. The 15-time major champion made clear that traversing the course was the bigger struggle for him than hitting golf shots.

After taking one day off — the Monday after the Masters — Woods got back to work training ahead of the second major of the season.

“There was a huge lull — Monday. That was it,” Woods joked. “It was not fun. It hurt. Ice baths and just trying to get the swelling out of there. Then we went back at it, leg day on Tuesday and we kept going from there.”

Now, Woods feels his surgically repaired leg is in a better place for him to play up to four days’ worth of golf.

“There’s going to be limitations,” Woods said. “There’s a lot of hardware in there and there’s going to be limitations to what I’m going to be able to do, but I’m going to get stronger. I don’t know how much that is or how much range of motion I’ll ever get back. But sure is a hell of a lot better than it was 12 months ago.”

The last time Southern Hills Country Club hosted the PGA Championship, Woods was the victor, shooting an 8-under-par 272 to beat Woody Austin by two shots. Woods carded a 63 in the second round, which at the time tied the record for the lowest round at any major.

Woods also made a few minor changes to his golf bag for the week, according to Golfweek. He replaced his 5-wood with a 2-iron, something he tends to do at fast, windy courses like Open Championship venues. He also replaced his P-7TW 3-iron with another model also made by TaylorMade, a P-770.

–Field Level Media

RB Tarik Cohen suffers injury during livestreamed workout

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May 18, 2022

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RB Tarik Cohen suffers injury during livestreamed workout

Free agent running back Tarik Cohen appeared to suffer an injury while livestreaming a workout on Instagram Tuesday.

Cohen, who last played in the NFL in 2020, was doing a footwork drill. While backpedaling, he suddenly went to the ground and held his right foot and ankle area before a friend turned off the livestream.

Cohen, 26, starred for the Chicago Bears for three-plus seasons before an ACL injury early in 2020 caused him to miss the rest of that campaign, plus all of 2021. It was later revealed that he had also torn his MCL and fractured his tibial plateau, leading to a longer comeback timeline.

The Bears, who had drafted Cohen in the fourth round of in 2017, gave him a three-year, $17.25 million contract extension shortly before that injury. They released him in March of this year.

In 51 career games, Cohen racked up 1,101 rushing yards with five touchdowns along with 1,575 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 209 catches. He was a Pro Bowl selection and a first-team All-Pro in 2018 as a punt returner, when he led the league with 411 punt-return yards.

Cohen is also coping with both of his brothers passing away, which he recently wrote about in a Players’ Tribune article. His twin brother, Tyrell, died last year after running away from a car accident and being electrocuted at a nearby electrical substation. His younger brother, Dante, who was paralyzed from a gunshot, was lost in a fatal car accident in April.

–Field Level Media

Flames, Oilers eager for elite Battle of Alberta series

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May 18, 2022

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Flames, Oilers eager for elite Battle of Alberta series

The history of the Battle of Alberta is not lost on the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers.

The opportunity to write a new chapter when they open their Western Conference second-round series Wednesday in Calgary means plenty.

The Flames and Oilers last met in a Stanley Cup playoff series in 1991, before many of the participants of this year’s clash were even born.

“I haven’t been to the second round since my first year in the league, so this is really exciting for me, especially being the Battle of Alberta,” Flames defenseman Mike Stone said. “I’ve been in this city long enough to know what that means.”

The Pacific Division-champion Flames finished seven points ahead of the Oilers during the regular season. The clubs split their four meetings, with the Oilers taking the first two clashes before the Flames won the final two.

Calgary advanced after finally dispatching the Dallas Stars, a wild-card team, in a seven-game series that went the distance because of a stellar goaltending performance from Dallas’ Jake Oettinger. The Oilers also needed seven games to beat the Los Angeles Kings.

Through the past three decades, Flames-Oilers clashes boasted extra oomph, but a playoff series takes a rivalry to new levels, something Flames forward Milan Lucic learned from his days with the Boston Bruins when they met the Montreal Canadiens.

“It adds to it. The history and the rivalry, all that type of stuff,” Lucic said. “It feels everything is magnified and everybody is more into it, the fans, the emotions, the media, the storylines.”

The series is noteworthy for more than just the two city rivals. Edmonton is led by its dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who finished first and fourth in the league scoring race, McDavid with 123 points and Draisaitl with 110.

But the Flames boast a trio of 40-goal scorers in Johnny Gaudreau, who finished second in the scoring race with 115 points, Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm. The edge may be in Calgary’s defensive game, which finished third in goals against, while the Oilers placed 18th.

That said, the Oilers dispatched the Kings by taking their defensive play to another level the last two games.

“We took steps just in the way the Los Angeles Kings played and their adherence to their structure,” coach Jay Woodcroft said. “It forced us to do some things and forced us to solve problems to get out of our comfort zone.

“For us, I don’t think anything great ever comes out of comfort zones, so it was nice to get pushed and forced to come up with different types of solutions to things.”

As much as the contempt coming from familiarity will make for exciting viewing, the difference in styles and how players adapt will make the difference.

“The hype is real life. There are a lot of passionate fans in Alberta. As players we’re trying not to get consumed by that,” Oilers goalie Mike Smith said. “There’s a lot of extra noise, but there’s a focus with this group that we have a job to do, and it didn’t matter who we were going to play against.”

On the injury front, Calgary defenseman Chris Tanev, who missed Game 7 due to injury, practiced Tuesday and should be back in the lineup.

The Oilers practiced without forwards Draisaitl, who is nursing a suspected ankle injury, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evander Kane, but general manager Ken Holland said all three are expected to play in the series opener.

–Field Level Media

Luka Doncic vs. Stephen Curry matchup highlights Mavs-Warriors playoff series

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May 18, 2022

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Luka Doncic vs. Stephen Curry matchup highlights Mavs-Warriors playoff series

Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks will be looking to continue their regular-season mastery of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors when the Western Conference finals tip off Wednesday night in San Francisco.

Only one game separated the teams in the regular season, and it’s because of the Warriors’ 53-52 edge in wins — rather than the Mavericks’ 3-1 triumph in the season series — that Golden State has earned the home-court advantage in the best-of-seven.

The disparity in win totals is a far cry from the last time the clubs faced each other in the playoffs. That historic event 15 years ago saw the eighth-seeded Warriors, who won 25 fewer games than the Mavericks, shock top-seeded Dallas in six games in what has become known in San Francisco as the “We Believe” series.

The Warriors won all three of their home games in that series, and home court could be critical this time as well, with Golden State yet to lose in six games on its home floor this postseason.

The Mavericks have won five straight at home after a series-opening loss to Utah.

Both teams upset better-seeded opponents to arrive at just their second-ever meeting in the postseason. Fourth-seeded Dallas took out Phoenix, the Western Conference regular-season champ, in seven games, while third-seeded Golden State disposed of No. 2 Memphis in six games.

Doncic, who averaged 32.6 points in the series against Phoenix, outscored Curry in all four regular-season head-to-heads this season. In fact, their personal duel wasn’t close, with the Dallas star running up 26-14, 25-18, 34-27 and 41-21 scoring advantages.

The Mavericks didn’t see the Warriors at their best, with Draymond Green missing the last three meetings and Klay Thompson missing two of the first three.

Then again, the Warriors saw the Mavericks only twice after Dallas’ headline-grabbing trade of Kristaps Porzingis at midseason, with newcomer Spencer Dinwiddie leading the Mavericks to wins in the last two meetings with a total of 41 points.

Based on their history of having made the Western Conference finals six times in the past eight seasons and owning the home-court advantage, the Warriors go into the series as the favorite, even with coach Steve Kerr warning them not to think that way.

“Every opponent at this stage is going to pose a huge threat because only the best teams are left,” said Kerr, who missed the last three games of the Memphis series with COVID. He has been cleared for the start of this series.

“It’s all about figuring it out,” he continued, “and I thought our team and our staff did a really good job over the course of Games 4, 5 and 6 (against Memphis) of making that adjustment to the way the series had shifted and kind of finding a way to get through.”

The Warriors have had two extra days of rest, having wrapped up their second-round series on Friday while the Mavericks were going the distance to a Game 7 in Phoenix on Sunday.

Doncic appeared to pull from Warriors-Mavericks history when gushing over the elimination of the Suns, declaring: “We came here with a statement in Game 7. We believed. So I’m just happy.”

Both teams will be without one of their most famous names, with the Mavericks having lost Tim Hardaway Jr. for the season to a broken foot, while the Warriors likely will remain without Gary Payton II, who fractured his left elbow in Game 1 against the Grizzlies.

Golden State expects to have veteran Otto Porter Jr. (sore foot) back for Game 1, but awaits a re-evaluation of Andre Iguodala’s neck injury on Thursday before projecting his potential entry into the series.

–Field Level Media

Sounders, Dynamo each eye 2nd straight win

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May 18, 2022

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Sounders, Dynamo each eye 2nd straight win

While the Seattle Sounders became the first MLS team to win the CONCACAF Champions League title earlier this month, they went 43 days between MLS victories.

With the drought now over, Seattle (3-5-1, 10 points) aims to notch back-to-back MLS victories for the first time this season when it visits the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday night.

Raul Ruidiaz scored on a penalty kick, and Cristian Roldan and Nicolas Lodeiro added goals as the Sounders overcame an early deficit to post a 3-1 home win over Minnesota United on Sunday.

The victory halted a three-game skid in MLS play for the team that posted a stunning 3-0 win over Pumas UNAM on May 4 to win the Champions League crown.

“I want the team to be proud of that accomplishment because we were the first MLS team to win CCL, the current version of CCL, and that’s something that we’re very proud of,” Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said after the victory over Minnesota. “Now, the other side of that is just making sure that the players understand that we’re not just going to rest on our laurels. That’s not what the Seattle Sounders do.”

While Seattle is looking to overcome its slow start, Houston (4-4-3, 15 points) snapped out of its own funk with Saturday’s 2-0 home win over Nashville SC.

The Dynamo had lost three straight matches and were 0-3-1 during a four-game stretch before their first MLS win in 35 days.

Adalberto Carrasquilla and Darwin Quintero (penalty kick) scored the Houston goals.

“It was clear that we had to win,” Quintero said afterward. “We came in with three consecutive losses in the league and there was no other option but to get three points. We had no other possibility.”

It wasn’t an easy win as the Dynamo played a man short for the final 65 minutes after Adam Lundqvist was given a red card for a dangerous sliding tackle. Houston led 1-0 at the time and Quintero scored his team-leading fifth goal in the 53rd minute.

The Dynamo defeated Seattle 2-1 last October to halt an eight-game skid in the series.

–Field Level Media

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CWEB NEWS

Union host Inter Miami, aim to extend home dominance

‘College GameDay’ to kick off at Ohio State-Notre Dame

Maple Leafs to retain coach, GM after 6th straight first-round exit

Al Horford (protocol), Marcus Smart (foot) out for Celtics in Game 1

LAFC hosting surprisingly tough Austin FC

Tiger Woods hits PGA with leg ‘better than 12 months ago’

RB Tarik Cohen suffers injury during livestreamed workout

Flames, Oilers eager for elite Battle of Alberta series

Luka Doncic vs. Stephen Curry matchup highlights Mavs-Warriors playoff series

Sounders, Dynamo each eye 2nd straight win

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