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Three days into the 2025 season, the biggest story in baseball was the New York Yankees' bats.

On the first Saturday of the year, the Yankees—using innovative "torpedo" bats exalted by announcer MIchael Kay—crushed the Milwaukee Brewers 20–9 and watched both leagues raise their respective eyebrows. Soon, the bats were everywhere.

Not even fancy bats, however, could stem the tide of regression to the mean. New York is now a good-but-not-great 8-6, and the extent to which its initial detonation may have been a sample-size mirage was on full display Sunday against the San Francisco Giants.

With his team up 1–0 in the second inning, shortstop Anthony Volpe swung out of his shoes and flung his "torpedo" bat into the stands.

"Somebody just caught the torpedo," Kay said as the fan who caught the bat could be seen feeling its barrel.

Volpe is slashing .240/.339/.540 with four home runs and 13 RBIs so far; it remains to be seen whether he can keep those career-best numbers up.

It’s one step forward and two steps back for Newcastle United, who were defeated on the road in the Champions League against Marseille, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the double.

Eddie Howe’s side responded with vim and vigour after the international break to beat Manchester City at St. James’ Park, but this served as a sobering reminder that there is much work to be done away from Tyneside, with the Toon having won only one game away from home all season.

Harvey Barnes’ fine form continued as he swept home from close range only minutes into the affair, but United failed to channel their counter-attacking approach and were ultimately overwhelmed by the French hosts.

It was a frustrating performance, epitomised by the woes of Nick Pope between the sticks.

Why Howe must consider dropping Nick Pope

Pope joined Newcastle from Burnley for about £10m in 2022, and he has since. This season, he has started all 12 of the Magpies’ Premier League fixtures, though he has failed to keep a clean sheet across five successive matches.

There have been tenuous calls to drop the 33-year-old all year, but these are rising in volume and intensity, and the veteran’s mistake in France will only fan those flames, with United losing clarity and conviction in their performance after the gaffe.

Given that Aaron Ramsdale is patiently waiting in the wings, having been signed on loan this summer, there’s justification for dropping Pope going forward, it may be that Howe needs to drop his mainstay between the sticks and start to rewire his defence, as has already started through the likes of Malick Thiaw and full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento.

Newcastle still have three wins from five in the Champions League this season, and may yet find the form to seal a place in the automatically-qualifying top eight.

But Howe does need to continue to chop and change, and Pope isn’t the only one whose starting berth is at risk.

Newcastle star is now relegated to the bench

At the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Anthony Gordon was awarded Newcastle’s Player of the Year. But last year was a testing one for the England international, in contrast with United’s resurgence, and he has fallen further into the mire since the summer.

Against Marseille, Gordon’s woes continued as he proved utterly ineffectual in a makeshift centre-forward role.

Writer Firdie Idris remarked that the decision to field Gordon, a pacy left winger, as a central striker “never works”, and his display against Marseille only corroborated that claim.

In his central berth, Gordon only created one chance and hit the target with only one shot. He didn’t even attempt a dribble and won only one of five duels, as per Sofascore. He also completed just 14 passes as an isolated figure in Howe’s offensive line.

Penning their post-match thoughts, The Shields Gazette could only hand the Three Lions star a 4/10 match rating, criticising him for being on the back foot throughout the contest.

Truthfully, Gordon has been out of sorts all season. Prolific on the continent, he has yet to kindle any semblance of good form on the domestic front, and this was not a display to imbue within him a kind of confidence that will be needed ahead of Premier League clashes against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.

Given that Gordon is one of Newcastle’s most profitable players, there’s reasoning behind the call to cash in down the line. Certainly, given the need for further investment over the coming transfer windows, it’s something PIF might consider as Barnes continues to go from strength to strength.

In any case, Gordon needs to raise his level. He is one of the outfit’s most talented players and is horribly underperforming. Like Pope, Howe would be wise to drop him for the forthcoming fixtures and rekindle his will to win.

PIF can fund Anderson move by selling Newcastle star who's a "nightmare"

Newcastle are proving themselves to be a team in transition this season.

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By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 25, 2025

Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano didn’t mince words ahead of Saturday’s MLS Cup final against Vancouver, calling it a “do-or-die” moment and demanding the hunger that has defined his team this season. With Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba set for their final match, Miami arrive at the title stage seeking redemption and their first league trophy.

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  Miami believe resilience can deliver a trophy

  Two days before the MLS Cup final, Javier Mascherano made it clear that Miami’s strength hasn’t been about dominating every week, but about responding when things went wrong. The team absorbed painful blows – including a 5-1 Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal loss to Vancouver and a heavy Leagues Cup final defeat to Seattle – yet kept fighting their way back to the summit.

  “We reach Saturday’s match with everything on the line, all or nothing,” Mascherano said. “It’s a huge reward for the work the players have put in all season, for everything they’ve done as a group. It’s the big prize, and it’s right there for us.”

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  Mas‘We need to wake up hungry’

  The Argentine coach emphasized that the final will hinge on mentality rather than tactics or reputation.

  “It will come down to the desire we have to eat it or not,” he said, describing Saturday as a moment that demands total conviction. 

  “Hopefully, we wake up very hungry," he said. 

  The matchup – Miami vs. Vancouver Whitecaps – offers both clubs the chance to win their first MLS Cup.

  “In these last few months, since the Leagues Cup, the team managed to rise again with the goal of getting here in the best possible way,” he said. “The players have had the strength to pick themselves up in every tough moment we faced.”

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  Allende’s status and Muller’s pedigree

  Mascherano also moved quickly to calm concerns about Tadeo Allende, who missed Thursday’s training session.

  “Tadeo showed a slight temperature, so we decided he shouldn’t train so close to the game. It’s nothing serious. He’ll train tomorrow and should be available.”

  When asked about past battles with Thomas Muller, he didn’t hide his admiration.

  “Not the best memories. He’s one of the best of his generation – a world champion, he won everything with Bayern. He gives Vancouver and MLS a different level of hierarchy.”

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  Busquets and Alba’s farewell

  Saturday will also be the final match for Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, who will retire after the game. Mascherano, in his first season on the sideline, said finals feel different now, with the focus on managing emotion rather than feeding it.

  “As a coach you live it differently. You try to bring tranquility to the team and prepare the week the best way possible,” he said. “We’ve reached the goal of playing the last match for this trophy. The mood and atmosphere around the group are very good.”

Almost everyone knows about Baseball Hall of Famer and New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter's iconic, walk-off home run in Game 4 of the 2001 World Series.

Jeter hit his fateful dinger after the clock struck midnight on November 1, making it the first time the Fall Classic spilled into the 11th month on the calendar. The clutch homer earned Jeter the nickname “Mr. November” and forever became a part of baseball lore.

The homer also forever changed the life of former Yankees vendor Neil Dunleavy, who caught the ball. He told his amazing story to ESPN's Jeff Passan in a story published on Friday.

Dunleavy's story includes one nugget that baseball fans may not know about. Jeter, rather than keep the ball for himself, autographed it and returned it to Dunleavy.

On the night of Game 4, nearing the end of his shift selling programs across Yankee Stadium, Dunleavy perfectly positioned himself in the right field corner, where he knew Jeter's inside-out swing tended to deposit balls. As Jeter connected on his swing in the bottom of the 10th inning, Dunleavey was busy organizing hundreds of dollar bills he had gotten from fans in exchange for programs throughout his shift, and had to sacrifice the currency to dive for the ball. Thankfully, a nearby security guard was able to recover the cash he had tossed aside for a bigger prize.

Once he retrieved it, he left the ballpark that night planning to give the ball to Jeter the next day. He met with a Yankees ballboy and, thinking it would be the last time he ever saw that infamous ball, handed it over. But the ballboy returned with the 'Mr. November' ball, which Jeter had signed, dated and added the No. 2, his jersey number with the Yankees.

"Had I known I was going to get it back," Dunleavy told Passan. "I would've given him a better pen."

Dunleavy went on to pursue a career in the medical field, but held onto the baseball. Now 43 years old, married and with three children, he has decided to sell the ball, believing he could find a better purpose for the memento.

After connecting with the auction house Goldin and authentication company JSA, Dunleavy now has the baseball on sale, with bidding set to close on June 14. The bidding is up to $120,000 and counting.

Not only did Jeter's classy gesture ensure that the baseball was authentic—thus providing Dunleavy and his family the chance for a large return in the souvenir's sale—but the Yankees legend also provided the now-orthopedic surgeon with memories and feelings he'll never forget.

And Dunleavy plans to pay it back to Jeter. He intends to donate a portion of the proceeds of the sale to Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation.

Celtic are now targeting a move to sign Wessam Abou Ali from Columbus Crew, according to reports, with Wilfried Nancy looking to bring one of his star men to Scotland.

At long last, the Bhoys are closing in on a managerial appointment. The Scottish giants have taken their time, waiting for the right appointment, with Martin O’Neill doing an impressive job as interim boss in the meantime.

The 73-year-old has reiterated every week that he will happily step aside once Celtic have found their next permanent option and that looks set to happen sooner rather than later amid recent reports.

The Columbus Crew manager looks set to take his first job in European football and has the task of bridging the gap on Hearts in a shock Scottish Premiership title race.

O’Neill, meanwhile, will bow out of his second stint in charge after steadying the ship. Whether he’s still in charge by the time that Celtic travel to face Feyenoord this Thursday is the big question.

Speaking to reporters, the veteran manager said: “The answer is this: the game is on Thursday so the plane leaves on Wednesday. They better make their minds up very quickly.”

Of course, if Nancy doesn’t arrive in time, then O’Neill will have the opportunity to win his first European game of his second stint in charge to cap off a small tenure full of nostalgia.

The ball will then be in the new manager’s court, who has already reportedly identified the need for a new striker at Celtic Park and set his sights on exactly who that new striker should be.

Celtic now lining up January move for Columbus Crew star

According to the Scottish Sun, Celtic are now targeting a move to sign Abou Ali from Columbus Crew in the January transfer window. The 26-year-old Palestinian striker has been one of Nancy’s best players in the MLS and quickly won the faith of his manager after arriving from Ahly SC.

Celtic chiefs learn Nancy arrival date as personal terms update emerges

The Hoops are closing in…

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 20, 2025

Described as “clinical” by Columbus Crew general manager Issa Tall, Abou Ali first grabbed the headlines when he scored a perfect hat-trick against Porto at the Club World Cup as the MLS side watched on, waiting to secure his signature.

Since then, the 26-year-old has only impressed even more in America and may yet be on his way to Scotland to strike an instant reunion with Nancy.

With four goal involvements in five games under Nancy, Celtic would be wise to go all out to sign the 6’1 forward, who could solve their own striker problem in January.

Whether Columbus Crew will allow their star striker to leave with their manager is another question, however. Losing Nancy is already set to deal them a blow in its own right, let alone their top star alongside him.

Celtic set to make quadruple backroom appointment to Nancy's staff

Yaya Toure has dramatically reignited his long-running feud with Pep Guardiola, accusing the Manchester City boss of treating him “like dirt” and describing him as a “snake” in a fresh outburst that revisits years of tension. The Ivorian icon recalled the pain of being sidelined by Guardiola, while revealing his wife’s scathing verdict on the coach as their bitter dispute once again erupts.

• Toure reignites his age old feud with Guardiola

  Toure resurfaced his long-standing frustrations with Guardiola, reopening one of football’s most persistent personal rivalries. The former Manchester City midfielder described his ex-manager as a “snake,” accusing him of mistreatment dating back to their tense Barcelona years. Toure also recounted how Guardiola marginalised him again during their reunion at Manchester City, leading to a fractured relationship that never truly healed.

  The remarks revisit Guardiola’s decision in 2010 to move Toure out of Barcelona after elevating Sergio Busquets into the starting midfield role. That same dynamic resurfaced in 2016 when Guardiola arrived at the Etihad and again relegated Toure to a bit-part role, triggering a wave of public complaints from the player’s agent. Although Toure enjoyed enormous success at Manchester City, the deterioration of his role under Guardiola ultimately shaped the bitter narrative that continues between them.

  The feud has become one of the most notorious manager-player conflicts of the modern era, encompassing tactical disagreements, personality clashes and public accusations. Toure’s fresh comments emphasise how deeply he felt the lack of appreciation from Guardiola, particularly during pivotal stages of his career. While Guardiola has never publicly escalated the feud, Toure’s repeated criticism ensures the story remains unresolved.

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  Toure labels Guardiola as 'a snake'

  Appearing on the ZACK YouTube channel, Toure described Guardiola as a 'snake'. "I don't see a man, I see a snake," he said.

  "The Barcelona coach calls me back then and says, 'You have to come back, it's important.' My wife says to me, 'Are you going to listen to that nonsense? He treated you like dirt, and now he wants you to stay, and you're going to stay? Let's go to Manchester, my brother'.

  "The guy didn't play me all year, and at the end of the year, I shine at the World Cup (2010), and he brings me to Barcelona. My wife would tell me about him. 'Sheytan, he's not a man, he's wicked.' She sees him as a negative person."

• Toure and Guardiola's personal feud over the years…

  The feud between Toure and Guardiola stretches back to 2008, when Guardiola was appointed Barcelona manager and swiftly reshaped the midfield hierarchy. Toure was displaced by a young Busquets, whose ability to control possession more fluidly suited Guardiola’s tactical ideology, and the Ivorian struggled with the abrupt reduction in responsibility. This foundational rift set the stage for long-term resentment, with Toure feeling undervalued despite performing well when selected.

  The conflict escalated significantly during Guardiola’s tenure at Manchester City, where Toure initially served as a club legend and central figure. Guardiola’s decision to exclude him from the Champions League squad, combined with his agent Dimitri Seluk’s fiery public criticisms, created a cycle of tension that even apologies could not fully repair. Although Toure was reintegrated temporarily, his role continued to diminish, reinforcing the belief that the manager no longer wanted him.

  After leaving City, Toure intensified the dispute by hinting at deeper motivations behind Guardiola’s choices, claiming patterns of unfair treatment toward African players, accusations Guardiola has firmly denied.

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  Guardiola continues to focus on dwindling PL hopes

  Guardiola is unlikely to respond publicly, consistent with his approach throughout the feud, but Toure’s remarks will inevitably reignite debate around their fractured relationship. The comments come as Guardiola focuses on keeping Manchester City competitive in a title race for the Premier League title that already seems to be in Arsenal's hands.

The Boston Red Sox called up outfielder Roman Anthony, who played in Monday’s 10–8, 11-inning loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. A few thoughts on the debut of the No. 1 prospect in baseball: 

• He is so young—he just turned 21 last month—that three years ago this time he was graduating from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The Red Sox drafted him in the second round with the 70th pick in 2022.
• Anthony (21 years, 27 days) is the youngest Red Sox player ever to debut with an RBI and a walk. The previous youngest was George “Boomer” Scott in 1966 (22.020).
• Long gone are the days when pitchers challenged rookies to see if they could hit a big league fastball. The Rays showed him tremendous respect. Their pitchers threw him 56% breaking pitches (10 of 18) and only 33% fastballs (six). Most of the pitches were out of the zone (10) and he swung at only two of them, both fastballs that were borderline pitches. He looked very calm in making good swing decisions.
• He hits the ball really, really hard. He hit a line drive 111.2 mph, one of the 20 hardest hit balls by Boston all year. He hit a home run in Triple-A 115.6 mph while averaging more than 95 mph in exit velocity.
• He has an upright setup at the plate with his hands high—a setup reminiscent of Shohei Ohtani and Christian Yelich—that enables him to be a more dangerous hitter on pitches up than down:

Hugo Ekitike scored both goals – including the fastest of the Premier League season – as Mohamed Salah made an earlier-than-expected return in Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Brighton at Anfield, but it was another Reds star drawing all the praise.

Liverpool rampant in win over Brighton

Cameramen barely had time to shift their focus off Salah, back in the squad after being dropped for his explosive comments about being “thrown under the bus” by the club, when Ekitike struck after just 46 seconds.

Salah held talks with Arne Slot on Friday after his midweek Champions League omission and would have expected to wait until the second half for a chance to redeem himself – at least in most observers’ eyes.

But Joe Gomez’s injury released him from the bench, where he was for his fourth successive match sharing the occasional joke with Andy Robertson, midway through the first half.

It was not the change Slot wanted to make with the game still evenly poised but one he could not avoid without creating more headlines. However, set-piece coach Aaron Briggs gave the instructions as Slot was in conversation with Dominik Szoboszlai, his new right-back.

And it was the Hungary star, not match-winner Ekitike, who was impressing BBC commentator Chris Sutton, in part due to that ability to move into different positions.

Salah immediately combined with Alexis Mac Allister to almost set up Ekitike and the Kop broke into Salah’s song before he was involved again as Ekitike volleyed wide.

Liverpool’s 4-2-3-1 formation, with Florian Wirtz playing off the left, does not suit Salah due to the additional work-rate required but when from a Brighton counter-attack Szoboszlai made the lung-busting run to snuff out the danger Salah was not far behind in the tracking-back stakes.

And after the Egypt international forced Bart Verbruggen into his first save of the second half at the expense of a corner and the unmarked Ekitike headed home the chant for the Frenchman was quickly replaced with a louder one for Salah, closely followed by another for Slot.

Last weekend Salah, now destined for the Africa Cup of Nations, had suggested this could be his last match but talks will continue between the club and his representatives in an attempt to resolve the situation.

He finished the game paired with Alexander Isak, the British record-signing bought to eventually replace his weight of goals, but – perhaps symptomatic of his season – missed his moment by firing over Federico Chiesa’s cross in added time.

Salah applauded all four sides at the final whistle, lingering in front of the Kop as they sang his praise, and fans will hope this is au revoir and not farewell.

Amid the Salah circus it was easy to forget the improvement in the Liverpool’s performance, their third win in five unbeaten, and the growing prowess of Ekitike.

His first-minute goal, taking a touch before unleashing a shot which was still rising as it hit the roof of the net, came as a result of Yankuba Minteh’s risky cross-field clearance headed down by Joe Gomez.

Revealed: The Salah decision Richard Hughes has made at Liverpool today

Mo Salah has been omitted form the Liverpool squad this week.

3

By
FFC Staff

7 days ago

Minteh and Diego Gomez both had chances to equalise but the first half was controlled by Liverpool aided by the growing understanding between Wirtz and Mac Allister.

Ekitike continued to pose a threat in the second half but could not find a finish to match the quality of his driving run, although Brighton were becoming more dangerous with Diego Gomez hitting Alisson’s right-hand upright and Brajan Gruda dragging wide.

After Ekitike fired over when Mac Allister released Salah the Egyptian took matters into his own hands with the shot which led to the Frenchman’s second goal.

U.S. international Weston McKennie opened the scoring, and Canada’s Jonathan David added a second as Juventus beat Pafos 2–0 in the Champions League. The win gives the Bianconeri a vital boost in the league stage, taking them to nine points from six games and strengthening Luciano Spalletti and his side's push for the knockout rounds.

• McKennie breaks deadlock with a crucial goal

  The match remained goalless until the 67th minute when McKennie found the back of the net. The American midfielder capitalized on a well-worked team move, demonstrating his attacking instincts and composure in front of goal. His strike gave Juventus the momentum they needed to control the remainder of the match and put pressure on their Cypriot opponents. His goal was also a landmark moment as it was the 50th goal scored by a USMNT player in the competition and made him the second USMNT player to record 10 goal contributions as well.

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• David doubles the lead to secure victory

  Just six minutes after McKennie’s opener, Jonathan David extended Juventus’ advantage with a clinical finish. The Canadian forward showcased his sharpness in the box, converting a precise assist after a breathless counter-attack to make it 2-0. This goal effectively ended any hopes of a comeback for Pafos FC and ensured Juventus took all three points from the encounter.

• Group-stage implications for Juventus

  The victory represents Juventus’ second win in the Champions League league phase, a timely boost as the competition reaches its decisive rounds. Securing three points here improves their standing in a competitive pool and gives Luciano Spalletti’s side breathing room. They’ve now got two wins, three draws and one loss from six games in the Champions League league stage.

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  Momentum, rotation and European schedule

  Juventus will look to carry this momentum into their remaining group fixtures and juggle rotation as domestic duties pile up. The Old Lady will face Bologna next in the Serie A on Dec. 14 before hosting AS Roma on Dec. 20 as they look to climb up the Serie A table.

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo found out last weekend that he had made the American League All-Star team for the first time in his three years in the big leagues. Moments after getting that news, he called his parents to let them know and their reaction was too good.

The 25-year-old right-hander is 8–4 on the season with a 2.77 ERA. He's a big reason why the Mariners are in second place in the AL West and will be fighting for a possible playoff berth in the second half of the season.

The team recorded Woo's conversation with his parents, which started with him talking to his dad about the family plans for the upcoming All-Star break. He the shared that they need to head to Atlanta, where this year's game will be played.

“Oh my god, Bryan! Holy s—!," his mom yelled upon hearing the news.

This whole video is great:

Safe to say next week is going to be a special one for the Woo family.