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Marco Reus netted a pair of goals, including the game-tying score off a direct free kick in the 87th minute as the Los Angeles Galaxy earned a 2-2 tie with rival Los Angeles FC while remaining winless on the season.
Reus' tying goal, over the LAFC wall from just outside of the penalty area, was just the third score the three-time player of the year in Germany has posted since joining the Galaxy last season.
Despite the point, the defending champion Galaxy (0-10-4, 4 points) still extended the worst start to a season in MLS history. The draw, behind two saves from John McCarthy, came two days after Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney received a three-year contract extension through 2028.
Denis Bouanga and Nathan Ordaz each scored goals for LAFC (6-4-4, 22 points), who saw their unbeaten streak extend to seven games. Hugo Lloris made two saves.
After the 25th edition of the El Trafico rivalry, the Galaxy continue to hold a slim advantage at 10-9-6.
Like they did in their eventual loss at Philadelphia on Wednesday, the Galaxy took an early 1-0 lead when Reus scored in the sixth minute off a rebound from a Lloris save on a shot by Gabriel Pec.
Pec, who has just one goal this season after leading the club with 16 last year, returned after missing two games because of a hip injury.
LAFC tied the score 1-1 in the 13th minute on a long-range shot from Bouanga off a pass from former Galaxy midfielder Mark Delgado, who received his championship ring in a private ceremony Friday.
LAFC moved in front 2-1 in the 50th minute when Los Angeles native Ordaz scored off a pass from Ryan Hollingshead that split two defenders and put his forward one-on-one with McCarthy.
Pec appeared to score the game-tying goal in the 78th minute but was ruled offside approximately 40 yards in front of the LAFC goal when he was sent a long-range pass from Reus.
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‘Infuriates me…’ – Liverpool stalwart left seething at exclusion from national team squad
One Liverpool player has expressed his annoyance at being omitted from his country’s squad for their June fixtures. A minor issue had seen Alexis Mac Allister sidelined for the Reds’ final two matches of the season, with Arne Slot explaining that the 26-year-old was in need of a rest in order to ‘recover completely’ after a manic campaign at club and international level. The midfielder had been due to represent Argentina in their World Cup qualifying double header against Chile and Colombia this week, but Lionel Scaloni has left the former Brighton star out of the Albiceleste squad for fitness reasons. Mac Allister annoyed by Argentina omission While Mac Allister was circumspect about his omission from national team duty for their upcoming games, he still felt scorned by the decision from his international boss. The Liverpool midfielder told TyC Sports: “Not being on the squad list infuriates me. Sometimes it’s a question I ask myself every day, but I’ve had some issues throughout the year. It’s not a major injury, it’s a minor one, but it’s better to rest before it gets worse. We have the World Cup very close.” Mac Allister has just had a relentless season with Liverpool and Argentina We can understand why the 26-year-old would be disappointed to miss out on representing his country this month, but Reds supporters won’t have too many grievances with Scaloni’s decision. Mac Allister was Liverpool’s fourth most-used player this season with 3,569 minutes across 49 matches, and that was even with him not starting any of the four games after we clinched the Premier League title in late April. Prior to then, he’d only had his involvement curtailed by a brief suspension. He also started six of Argentina’s eight World Cup qualifiers during the 2024/25 campaign (scoring against Brazil in March) and was over and back across the Atlantic four times in that period, so it was quite natural that the intense workload would take a toll on him eventually. His omission from national team duty for their games against Chile and Colombia makes even more sense when you consider that the Albiceleste have already booked their place at next year’s finals in North America, so Scaloni can use any matches in the meantime to have a look at players who mightn’t ordinarily start. From a Liverpool perspective, we’re quite glad that Mac Allister will get the whole of this month off and enjoy some much-needed rest and recuperation before another relentless season at club level is set in motion later in the summer, after which he’ll be participating in the World Cup.
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Ex-NBA champion head coach immediately linked to Knicks
The New York Knicks have decided to move on from Tom Thibodeau despite reaching the Eastern Conference Finals this year, and one theory is that they already have their next head coach lined up. Thibodeau has been fired by the Knicks following five seasons with the franchise that featured four playoff appearances. Even after Thibodeau’s team exceeded expectations, the Knicks reportedly felt they were in need of a new voice. Many people are convinced that former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone will be that voice. Malone was linked to the Knicks immediately after the shocking news about Thibodeau surfaced. ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins agreed that Malone seems like the obvious choice. “It might have to be Michael Malone. I mean, when you talk about championship experience, what other coach is out there?” Perkins said. “He’s from the New York area, born and raised, went to high school right down the street from where Kyrie Irving grew up. …I don’t know who they are gonna hire. I think Michael Malone is probably the best fit if they’re trying to win now, because he is a championship-level coach.” Malone was fired by the Nuggets in April, which was less than two years after he led the team to an NBA title. Nikola Jokic became arguably the best player in the NBA while playing under Malone. Reports have suggested Malone could not co-exist with Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth. There were also questions about Malone’s roster decisions late in the year. Despite all that, Malone is the winningest coach in Nuggets franchise history with a record of 471-327. As Perkins mentioned, Malone is also from Queens and was an assistant with the Knicks 2001-05. It makes sense for him to be viewed as the favorite in New York.
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Steelers TE out for season with torn Achilles tendon
The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost one of their free-agent signings to a season-ending injury. Tight end Donald Parham Jr. suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the Steelers’ offseason team activities (OTAs) on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Torn Achilles tendons usually take nine to 12 months of recovery, which would knock Parham out for the 2025 NFL season. Parham, 27, was entering his fifth NFL season. He had played the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Los Angeles Chargers. He had 27 catches for 285 yards and four touchdowns in 2023 — all of which were career-high marks. He then spent last season on the Broncos’ practice squad. The Steelers still have Pat Freiermuth at tight end, along with Darnell Washington, who has received rave reviews this offseason. The Steelers reportedly have renewed trade talks for Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith, who is a favorite of Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. This was a bad break for Parham, who was hoping to start racking up some stats again in the NFL.
Could Cubs Reunite With Former Reliever After Recent Release?
The Chicago Cubs are continuing to build a well-rounded team that should be expected to be in contention for the postseason. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any weaknesses to address ahead of the trade deadline, and most concern surrounds the starting rotation and bullpen. The Cubs were dragged down by their bullpen to start the season, and their relief staff carried a 4.76 ERA through the end of April, the fifth highest in the league. In May, the relievers had a remarkable transformation, achieving the lowest bullpen ERA (2.37) in the MLB. Will it last? One month of improved play makes it difficult to feel confident for the entire season. At the least, the bullpen needs to be at full strength. The recent update on Porter Hodge suggests a thinning unit that could benefit from a reunion with a former reliever. Will Cubs Reunite With Jorge López To Strengthen Depth? Chicago may be quietly making moves to fill out their pitching staff, as Patrick Mooney with The Athletic (subscription required) reports that they are monitoring minor league pitchers with June opt-out clauses. Mooney mentions former reliever Jorge López, who the Washington Nationals designated for assignment, as the other area they're keeping an eye on. It’s a smart strategy by the Cubs’ front office, as it wouldn’t change any plays they plan to make in the trade market. While splashy acquisitions build excitement, incremental moves over the course of a 162-game season can truly build a contending roster. Manager Craig Counsell has embraced the challenge of bullpen turnover and recognizes the unique opportunity that the reliever market provides. “Always be on the lookout,” Counsell said. “It’s a 365-day job, trying to get bullpen help. Some areas of the team, you can’t go get a third baseman on April 1, right? But with relievers, that’s how it works.” What’s intriguing is Mooney’s repeated name-dropping of López throughout Counsell’s comments. “López, for example, was released by the New York Mets last June after he threw his glove into the Citi Field stands. López, a one-time All-Star who previously worked with Counsell in Milwaukee, latched on with the Cubs and became one of their better relievers after that change of scenery,” Mooney writes. López is on a one-year, $3 million contract and was officially released on Tuesday, but Chicago wouldn’t be able to offer a guaranteed Major League spot off the bat or even put him atop the Triple-A depth chart. It’s a pretty crowded bullpen at Triple-A Iowa at that, which means that a reunion really only makes sense if the Cubs think they can provide a secondary change of scenery after the Nationals manager said that he didn’t believe Washington was “the right fit” for López. It worked the first time, when López carried a 2.03 ERA last season in 26.2 innings pitched and threw 31 strikeouts to eight walks. However, since joining the Nationals, López has a 6.57 ERA over 24.2 innings with 17 strikeouts to seven walks. However, he has a significant discrepancy in his 3.44 FIP, which suggests that he may have experienced some bad luck with batted balls or defensive plays. That scenery change might therefore work on a team that’s tied for sixth in the league with 23 defensive runs saved. Washington has -16 defensive runs saved this year. López has had a rocky career trajectory full of highs and lows, but one of those highs was firmly in Chicago. With Hodge not expected to return anytime soon, it might be the right time to bring back a familiar bullpen arm.
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