The theme of the rankings this week is communication. It's important to be clear with your message when conducting the very important business of soccer: Miscommunication can lead to a host of problems and result in numerous aggrieved parties. No one wants angry middle-aged men stalking referees and screaming obscenities. Think of the children.

Here at the rankings, we always aim to be understood. We say what we mean, no messing around. Our hand signals are vigorous; our voices are resonant. So here they are.

Previous rankings: Week 18 | Week 17 | Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1

1. LAFC (14 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses)

Previous ranking: 1

Next MLS match: July 19 at LA Galaxy, (10 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPNdeportes)

Nine changes, no problems for Bob Bradley's group in Houston. After playing a first choice lineup in the Open Cup loss on Wednesday night, Bradley rotated his squad for the trip to Texas. Turns out LAFC can win convincingly without Carlos Vela. Uh oh. El Trafico cometh.

2. Philadelphia Union (10-6-6)

Previous ranking: 3

Next MLS match: July 20 vs. Chicago (7.30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Knock knock. (You say "Who's there?") Orange. (Now you say "Orange who?") ... Orange you glad the Union aren't playing Orlando City anymore? Back-to-back games separated by four days between the same teams just feels weird. Let's not do that anymore.

3. San Jose Earthquakes (9-4-7)

Previous ranking: 7

Next MLS match: July 20 at Vancouver (10 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

San Jose outscored rivals Galaxy 6-1 over two games separated by two weeks, with Friday's domination coming on the road in front of the Galaxy's own fans. The Quakes' climb up the standings -- and more importantly, the rankings -- continues with every Almeydian performance.

4. New York City FC (7-8-3)

Previous ranking: 2

Next MLS match: July 20 at Colorado (9 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Dome Torrent and his NYCFC side were extremely angry about the strange corner kick-that-became-a-throw-in, leading to the Red Bulls' winning goal on Sunday. So many questions come to mind. How did VAR not correct the call? Does NYCFC even have a beef, since they'd probably prefer to give up a throw-in than a corner?

5. Minnesota United (10-3-7)

Previous ranking: 12

Next MLS match: July 20 at Real Salt Lake (10 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

The Loons are in full-flight as winners of four straight. Goalkeeper Vito Mannone's heroic performance against FC Dallas on Saturday was the latest massive individual performance from a team that seems to have a different player step up big every week.

6. New England Revolution (6-6-8)

Previous ranking: 11

Next MLS match: July 17 v. Vancouver (7 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

Bruce Arena's first trip to DC as head coach of the Revolution ended with a draw, which is fine, really. The intrigue came after the game when the architect of United's 90s dynasty roasted his old club for a lack of respect for its history. Was Bruce asking for a statue of himself out front of Audi Field? Maybe.

7. Seattle Sounders (10-5-5)

Previous ranking: 15

Next MLS match: July 21 v. Portland (9.30 p.m. ET)

Sunday's win over Atlanta is a credential-builder for the Sounders, who got another goal from Raul Ruidiaz. The Peruvian is among the best goalscorers in MLS since his arrival in Seattle last season and probably doesn't get as much attention as he deserves.

8. FC Dallas (8-5-8)

Previous ranking: 5

Next MLS match: July 20 at Sporting Kansas City (8.30 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

Sometimes there's just not much you can do when a goalkeeper plays out of his mind. In most games, like they one they played on Saturday in St. Paul, FC Dallas would have something to show for the effort. Instead, they left Minnesota frustrated and slipped into the final playoff spot in the West.

9. LA Galaxy (11-1-8)

Previous ranking: 4

Next MLS match: July 19 vs. LAFC (10 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPNdeportes)

The Galaxy made a lot of noise about playing even with San Jose two weeks ago when the Quakes beat LA in Stanford. After Friday night's Quakes win in Carson, those claims seem ridiculous. LA was outshot 22-2 by their old rival this weekend and now have the fun task of facing a primed LAFC team on Friday.

10. New York Red Bulls (9-4-7)

Previous ranking: 8

Next MLS match: July 17 at Toronto FC (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Throw-ingate (nope, that's terrible, we can do better) is the latest famous moment in the still-young rivalry between the Red Bulls and NYCFC. New York is red, but did it come from an unfair advantage? It's tough to blame the Red Bulls, who forced the issue and found the winner because they didn't stop playing.

11. Atlanta United (9-3-8)

Previous ranking: 6

Next MLS match: July 17 v. Houston (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Following the controversy that erupted around Pity Martinez last week, Frank de Boer decided against dropping the Argentine DP. Martinez stepped up with a decent 90 minute performance, but United fell in Seattle. A win would have gone a long way towards easing pressure on everyone involved.

12. D.C. United (8-8-5)

Previous ranking: 9

Next MLS match: July 18 at FC Cincinnati (8 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPNdeportes)

Quincy Amarikwa's goal off the bench for United -- his first since joining the team just ahead of the season -- helped DC salvage a draw at home against the Revs. Alarm bells continue to ring for a team that remains in second-place despite only a single win since May 15.

13. Colorado Rapids (5-5-10)

Previous ranking: 10

Next MLS match: July 20 v. NYCFC (9 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

A couple of months back, no one would have guessed the Rapids could get a draw on the road in hostile Providence Park. Considering the man-advantage Colorado got early in the second half, however, Conor Casey's team is probably upset they weren't able to get three points.

14. Montreal Impact (9-3-10)

Previous ranking: 13

Next MLS match: July 20 at Columbus (7.30 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

Things are starting to catch up with the Impact, who used smoke and mirrors to hang around near the top of the Eastern Conference for a while, but are starting to slip in the second half of the season. An Ignacio Piatti return to health might be the only hope they have of a rebound.

15. Portland Timbers (7-3-8)

Previous ranking: 14

Next MLS match: July 18 v. Orlando (10 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPNdeportes)

Like so many clubs in MLS, the Timbers are dealing with a wild stretch of the schedule that brings games one on top of another with little chance to pause and breathe. Following a disappointing home draw with the Rapids, Portland faces two games in four days in Week 20.

16. Orlando City (7-4-9)

Previous ranking: 17

Next MLS match: July 18 at Portland (10 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPNdeportes)

Everybody is beating the Crew these days, so the Lions' narrow 1-0 win in a game where they took just four shots, with the winning goal being the only one on target, isn't all that impressive. Give Orlando some credit for doing it without Nani, however, and for dodging a letdown after the US Open Cup dramatics in midweek.

17. Real Salt Lake (9-2-9)

Previous ranking: 18

Next MLS match: July 20 vs. Minnesota (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

What a day for Jefferson Savarino against Philadelphia on Saturday. The Venezuelan owned the Union, scoring twice and providing an assist. Philly boss Jim Curtin joked about "burning the tape" of the game -- maybe he could use the heat coming off of Savarino's performance.

18. Houston Dynamo (8-3-8)

Previous ranking: 16

Next MLS match: July 17 at Atlanta (7 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

The Dynamo looked good for some sort of result after taking an early lead on LAFC, but the good times didn't last. Losses in five of their last six now have Houston out of the playoff spots and it doesn't get easier: Next up is a Wednesday visit to Atlanta to face the champs.

19. Sporting Kansas City (6-7-7)

Previous ranking: 20

Next MLS match: July 20 v. FC Dallas (8.30 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

Sporting jumped up to ninth with a pair of wins over the last two weeks. Neither of them can be called "impressive" considering the opposition, but Peter Vermes and his team can't be too worried about reputation when just climbing back into the playoff conversation is the focus.

20. Toronto FC (7-5-8)

Previous ranking: 21

Next MLS match: July 17 v. Red Bulls (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

TFC got a pair of goals from its DP attackers and collected a clean sheet on the debut of Omar Gonzalez at centre-back. Against anyone else, that would be worth celebrating. Coming as it did on the road in Montreal, the Reds can also savour the sweet taste of a rivalry win.

21. Chicago Fire (5-7-9)

Previous ranking: 22

Next MLS match: July 17 v. Columbus (7 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

On July 3, the Fire whipped Atlanta 5-1 at Toyota Stadium in a game that seemed to show Chicago at their best and suggest a turnaround. Ten days later the Fire had dropped two games to teams in last place in their respective conferences. Even Dr. Jekyll can't figure this one out.

22. Vancouver Whitecaps (4-8-9)

Previous ranking: 19

Next MLS match: July 17 at New England (7 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

After getting thumped 3-0 at home by Sporting, the Whitecaps have fallen into the Western Conference basement. Halfway through the season, Vancouver's commitment to Marc Dos Santos and his rebuilding project is getting a serious test.

23. FC Cincinnati (5-2-13)

Previous ranking: 24

Next MLS match: July 18 v. DC United (8 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPNdeportes)

Credit where it's due: FC Cincinnati has a winning streak (two-in-a-row) for the second time this season and the first time since March. A chance at an MLS first for the club, a three-game winning streak is very real with a struggling DC United team coming to Nippert Stadium on Thursday.

24. Columbus Crew (5-2-14)

Previous ranking: 23

Next MLS match: July 17 at Chicago (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

The good news: The Crew are not technically in last place, thanks to a tiebreaker with FC Cincinnati. The bad news: The Crew are tied with the last place team in the East on points and now, thanks to having the most losses in the league, have nosedived all the way to the bottom of the rankings.

The European transfer window is open. Click here to review all the latest transfers, and keep up to date with the latest gossip below.

Top free agents in 2020 | What do Europe's elite need

TOP STORY: Arsenal gunning for Everton

Brazil international Everton has revealed he has an offer on the table, but the tease hasn't disclosed which club it is that's keen on signing him.

Everton was one of the stars of Brazil's successful Copa America campaign and scored in the final in a 3-1 win against Peru. His performances have brought him to the attention of some of Europe's top clubs, and the Mirror is suggesting Arsenal could be the club leading the race for his signature.

It says that AC Milan and Atletico Madrid are also keen to sign the 23-year-old, though Everton himself has said recently that he expects to be playing for Gremio when they play Bahia in the Copa Do Brazil on Wednesday.

Arsenal have made only one signing this summer so far, recruiting 18-year-old forward Gabriel Martinelli from Ituano, with transfer fees appearing to be the Gunners' biggest hindrance.

However, Everton is unlikely to command a huge fee at this stage of his career, and so he could fit into the Gunners' pay structure, though it depends on whether they can complete the signing of Kieran Tierney from Celtic on their budget.

LIVE BLOG

11.34 BST: Eintracht Frankfurt attacker Sebastian Haller could be set for a move to London where West Ham have reportedly made a second bid in the region of €45m, say kicker.

Alongside new Real Madrid attacker Luka Jovic and Croatia international Ante Rebic, the 25-year-old was part of one Germany's most exciting forward lines in recent years. However, Haller could now be tempted to cash in on his good form and join the Hammers on a five-year-deal which could include a release clause if a Champions League club comes calling.

11.15 BST: Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny will meet club officials this week in London to learn the sanctions he faces after refusing to go on the preseason tour to the U.S. on Thursday with the rest of the first-team squad, sources told ESPN FC.

The French defender feels the club has disrespected him because of a dispute over his contract. Koscielny, 33, has one year left on his current deal and wanted to commit to two more seasons but received no offer from the Gunners despite being open to an option based on appearances and bonuses.

10.57 BST: Sevilla are on the verge of signing FC Porto's creative midfielder Oliver Torres in a €12m transfer, according to Estadio Deportivo.

Torres reportedly arrived in Seville on Sunday evening and will undergo a medical on Monday before becoming the club's ninth summer signing. Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui knows Torres well, having coached him in Spain's Under-20 and Under-21 squads, as well as at FC Porto.

The 24-year-old spent two seasons on loan at Porto from Atletico Madrid before joining the Portuguese giants on a permanent transfer in February 2017.

10.38 BST: Atletico Madrid are interested in taking James Rodriguez across the city from Real Madrid, a source close to the Colombia international has confirmed to ESPN FC.

James, 28, is returning to Madrid this summer after Bayern Munich declined to take up their €42m option to sign him permanently following two years on loan in Germany.

Napoli, and a reunion with the Serie A side's manager Carlo Ancelotti who worked with James at both Madrid and Bayern, had looked a likely destination. But ESPN FC has been told that Atletico have made contact over bringing James to the Wanda Metropolitano and that nothing has yet been decided over the player's next club.

10.14 BST: Barcelona have made one final attempt to sign Matthijs de Ligt, say Mundo Deportivo.

The Ajax defender, 19, seems set to join Juventus for around €75m, but could yet be ready to move to Camp Nou.

09.55 BST: ICYMI: Paris Saint-Germain are set to sign Borussia Dortmund and France Under-21 defender Abdou Diallo, sources have told ESPN FC. Reports of the deal were first published in French media on Sunday afternoon.

After dropping behind in the race for Ajax's Matthijs de Ligt and making contact with Napoli for Kalidou Koulibaly, the French champions turned their attention to Diallo, who will sign a five-year deal on Monday. PSG will pay Dortmund €32m, including bonuses.

09.42 BST: Superdeporte report that Manchester City's Nicolas Otamendi is not willing to listen to any other offers as his wish is to return to play for Valencia.

Valencia are looking to strengthen their defensive line and believe their former player to be an ideal reinforcement. The Argentina international joined City from Valencia in the summer of 2015 but the 31-year-old centre-back is now keen to return to the Mestalla stadium.

However, according to Superdeporte, Valencia's chances of getting Otamendi are limited as the player is also a target of Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and PSG. Valencia need to sign a central defender before the end of the transfer window and are hoping Otamendi's desire to return will open the door to negotiate a potential move.

09.19 BST: Philippe Coutinho's agent Kia Joorabchian has told RMC Sport that Barcelona are giving out mixed messages about the forward's future.

Coutinho has been linked with swap deal plus cash for PSG's Neymar, but Joorabchian insists he was told the Brazilian is going nowhere before finding out the club are actually looking to move him on.

"As I have said before, Pep Segura (Barcelona's director of football) has told me that Philippe is not available a move away from Barca," he said. "The president was clear -- there was no intention of selling the player to any club. After this, we chose to not look at the market for our player out of respect for Barca's desire to keep him.

"However, I have learned that it is fact that Andre Cury's (Barca's South American recruiter) discourse is totally different. Cury is pushing for Coutinho to be included in a potential move to bring Neymar back. Like I said, Philippe has no offers from other clubs as we respected Barca's stance. However, they have not respected their word to us. I kept silent during this period, but I will not allow Barca to lie about Philippe -- they must tell the truth! If they want him to go, they have to say that. With the player, we will decide what is best for his future."

Of a possible destination back in the Premier League, Joorabchian added on Sky Sports: "I think Liverpool lies very, very deeply in his heart. He was a big fan of them throughout the campaign [last season]. He was wishing for them to win the title and he has a very strong affinity there so I think it will be very difficult for him to go to a direct competitor of Liverpool from a personal standpoint."

09.06 BST: Marca report that Spanish midfielder Dani Ceballos may continue at Real Madrid next season.

Ceballos is a reported target of Tottenham and AC Milan and is weighing up his options as he wants more playing time, although he said last week he would only leave Madrid on loan. A decision regarding Ceballos' future will reportedly be taken before July 22, the day Ceballos is due to report back to Madrid for pre-season.

The 22-year-old made 23 league appearances for Madrid, 13 as a starter, in the 2018-19 campaign and recently helped Spain win the European Under-21 Championship.

08.51 BST: Jose Mourinho says he is learning German and admits he could coach in the Bundesliga one day.

The Portuguese coach has been out of a job since being sacked by Manchester United in December but told Gazzetta dello Sport: "Right now I'm learning German."

Asked if he is learning the language because his next destination will be the Bundesliga, a league he has yet to coach in, he said: "No. I'm learning German because it is the only language that I don't have. I speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian. Of course, I don't exclude anything, not even Germany.

"I miss football, the adrenaline, the pitch, my work. Football is football."

08.20 BST: There's just 17 days left for Premier League clubs to strengthen before the transfer deadline. Will we see any movement today?

PAPER ROUND (By James Capps)

Three-way battle for Alves?

Dani Alves is also a man in demand, if you believe Mundo Deportivo. It's suggesting that Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City are all battling it out for the full-back following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain. Alves is a free agent, and it appears as though a whole host of clubs are falling over themselves to secure his marauding talents to their right flanks.

The 36-year-old was in vintage form for Brazil in the Copa America, adding a remarkable 40th career trophy to his cabinet. Alves has been reported as saying he's interested in reuniting with Pep Guardiola at Man City, but Spurs and Arsenal are also monitoring the situation.

Alves isn't getting any younger, but his experience -- coupled with his performances for his country this summer -- could make him a steal for the right club.

Tap-ins

- Philippe Coutinho has been linked with a move away from Barcelona all summer, but the Express is putting two and two together and suggesting that Antoine Griezmann's shirt number means the Brazilian isn't going anywhere. New-signing Griezmann wanted the Brazilian's No. 7 shirt but has been forced to take the No. 17 jersey instead, which could mean Coutinho might have another season to try to reach the kind of form that got him to the Camp Nou in the first place.

- Leroy Sane has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich this summer, with Guardiola apparently not standing in the winger's way if he wants to leave. However, the Mirror believes the left winger will be staying put in Manchester. It's suggesting that City want £100 million for the 23-year-old, which is £30 million more than the German champions want to pay. Sane indicated recently he has no desire to move back to Germany. He still has two years left to run on his contract.

- Portuguese outlet Correio da Manha is reporting that Manchester United could miss out on the signing of midfielder Bruno Fernandes because the board and manager can't agree on the fee. They suggest United's board are unwilling to pay more than £50 million for the player, while, in contrast, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is urging his bosses to spend what it takes to land the Sporting Lisbon midfielder. That could be because Fernandes contributed to 50 goals in all competitions last season.

- Napoli are running out of time to land James Rodriguez, according to AS. The Spanish title is suggesting that Real Madrid are growing impatient with the Italians' desire to sign the Colombian on loan. Madrid are keen to offload Rodriguez in a permanent deal instead and may shut the door on Napoli if they can't amend their terms.

An Australian squad of 16 for the looming Ashes series, rather than the traditional number of 17, may well play into the hands of Matthew Wade as the selectors look for a utility reserve batsman and back-up wicketkeeper to face England over five Tests.

The selection chairman Trevor Hohns has flagged 16 as the number for the final squad, which is to be pared down from the 25 players to assemble in Southampton later this week for a final warm-up match that will conclude with the naming of the group to play the Tests.

Wade, who has battered all bowling attacks he has faced in a prolific past 12 months, maintained his run by clouting 114 against the England Lions on the day of the extraordinary World Cup final at Lord's, in a stand worth 219 with Travis Head. With the national captain Tim Paine taking the gloves for the Tests, Wade's strong case as a batsman and back-up wicketkeeping skills in the event of a late injury are firming his case for inclusion.

"I think I can do both roles," Wade said in Canterbury. "I've played 22 Test matches; they've all been as wicketkeeper. So, I think if I manage to get a spot on the tour as that dual role and if anything happens to Tim, I feel I can stand in and catch them if they need me to.

"And vice versa, I'm playing more as a bat at the moment as well. Coming here I thought my opportunity would be in that dual role if they wanted to take some extra bowlers or allrounders or what have you. I'm not sure if that's the case but I feel I can do both if I'm needed."

The 17th spot has customarily gone to a back-up wicketkeeper, a role Wade himself filled in 2013, before Peter Nevill replaced Brad Haddin midway through the 2015 series. In 2009, Graham Manou played his one and only Test at Birmingham when Haddin was injured, while others such as Wade Seccombe, Darren Berry, Tim Zoehrer and Ray Phillips have all filled the role in the past. While the ODI vice-captain Alex Carey enjoyed an outstanding World Cup, his first-class record is modest when lined up against that of the more experienced Wade.

"I wasn't aware [of a 16-man squad] but that might be a good thing if they are looking to take 16, then they're probably looking for someone to bat and keep," Wade said. "I feel like I can do that, so fingers crossed I get the tap on the shoulder. If not I'm comfortable with where my game is at and comfortable with what I've done on this tour."

The century at Canterbury confirmed that Wade is both extremely well grooved into his style and rhythm of batting - taking his time early in getting to 15 from 47 balls - before taking command against the strongest attack the Australians have encountered on tour so far. He also spoke warmly of Head's innings, noting how the South Australian captain had curtailed his common tendency of flailing the bat outside the off stump.

"Traditionally, over my career, that's the way I've played," he said. "[I] give myself a pretty good chance to assess the wicket - that slope took a little bit more time than what I thought it would take to get used to - and then, as I went on, my innings certainly flourished a little bit more - runs-wise - but I tend to start like that in first-class cricket anyway.

"I think the ball just did a little bit later than what we're used to, especially early. They pitched a couple up to me and I went to drive and missed them by a little bit, so it was more just getting used to that and adjusting. I bat on off stump anyway, but some of the lefties that came off found it a lot easier batting towards the off stump and then giving themselves a better line up of where their off stump is.

"[Head] played the ball really late, he didn't go too hard outside off stump. He's done a lot of work there, but over his whole innings, he looked like he played the ball really late, let it come down to him and hit a lot of balls on the square, which over Heady's career he probably hasn't hit a lot there. He probably goes down the ground and through gully, so it looks like he's done a heap of work there and it's paying off for sure."

Another impressive aspect of Wade's innings was that his tour had been interrupted by a late call-up to join the Australian squad ahead of their semi-final against England in Birmingham, where he witnessed a heavy defeat and then travelled once more to rejoin the red-ball group in Canterbury.

"I thought it was a reward that I was really happy to get," Wade said. "I've gone away from my young family to come here and try and push for selection for World Cup and Ashes, and I suppose it was a little reward for the sacrifices that I've made and runs I've put on the board over the last 12 months."

The umpires made an "error of judgement" in awarding six runs, instead of five, to England for the overthrow that hit Ben Stokes' bat and ran to the boundary, says Simon Taufel, confirming the story that ESPNcricinfo broke right after the World Cup 2019 final. Currently part of the MCC's laws sub-committee that makes the rules governing cricket, Taufel told foxsports.com.au that England should have been awarded five runs, not six.

"It's a clear mistake.. it's an error of judgment," Taufel said. "They (England) should have been awarded five runs, not six."

Law 19.8, pertaining to "Overthrow or wilful act of fielder", says: "If the boundary results from an overthrow or from the wilful act of a fielder, the runs scored shall be any runs for penalties awarded to either side, and the allowance for the boundary, and the runs completed by the batsmen, together with the run in progress if they had already crossed at the instant of the throw or act."

A review of the footage of the incident - which took place off the fourth ball of the last over - shows clearly that, at the moment the ball was released by the New Zealand fielder, Martin Guptill, Stokes and his partner, Adil Rashid, had not yet crossed for their second run.

ALSO READ: Should England have got five, and not six, for overthrows?

Taufel also said that Stokes and Rashid should have switched ends once the run was found to be incomplete - which meant Rashid would have played the fifth ball with three runs required to win.

Taufel defended the officials, saying the moment involved many things happening at the same time. "In the heat of what was going on, they thought there was a good chance the batsmen had crossed at the instant of the throw," Taufel said.

"Obviously TV replays showed otherwise. The difficulty you (umpires) have here is you've got to watch batsmen completing runs, then change focus and watch for the ball being picked up, and watch for the release (of the throw)," he said.

"You also have to watch where the batsmen are at that exact moment."

The former umpire acknowledged the call "influenced the game", but said it should not be viewed as costing New Zealand the match - and the tournament.

"It's unfair on England, New Zealand and the umpires involved to say it decided the outcome," Taufel said.

Is it title or bust for Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers? How will the All-NBA big man adjust to sharing the court with LeBron James? What would Davis have changed about his public and prolonged exit from the New Orleans Pelicans?

Following his introductory news conference, we sat down with the Lakers' biggest summer acquisition as he dished on his new franchise, leaving New Orleans, his involvement in recruiting Kawhi Leonard and why he's not yet thinking beyond 2019-20 in Los Angeles.

MONTEREY, Calif. – Garrett Gerloff fulfilled a life-long dream Sunday in the Championship of Monterey, as the 23-year-old Texan won the first MotoAmerica Superbike race of his career in front of a record crowd at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

In what was his 32nd career Superbike race in his sophomore season in the class, Gerloff was dominant. The two-time Supersport champion was second off the start behind Toni Elias, made the pass early, and was never headed, pulling away to a 4.449-second win.

With Gerloff, who earned his second career Superbike pole position on Saturday, riding off into the sunset, the battle for second was just that.

The protagonists were Yoshimura Suzuki’s Toni Elias and Gerloff’s Monster Energy/Yamalube/Yamaha Factory Racing teammate Cameron Beaubier, and the pair exchanged body blows to the bitter end with Elias coming out on top by just .326 seconds after 23 laps of the 2.2-mile WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

“It feels so good,” Gerloff said of his first win. “I was telling the TV earlier, I know it’s just a race win and these guys get wins all the time and I used to, but I haven’t for a while. There’s been a lot of emotions the past year and a half, getting used to the Superbike and everything. These guys haul ass everywhere. It’s tough, stiff competition out there.

“It’s been a long road. There’s been a lot of ups and downs. To finally get it and to do it here even more in front of the World Superbike guys and everything, it’s just something that I’ve wanted for so long, something that’s been on my bucket list forever,” he added. “When I started racing, I was watching the MotoAmerica guys, AMA guys back in the day. That was one of the things that I wanted to accomplish in my life. To finally say that I got just one win, it just feels awesome. I’m ecstatic, for sure.”

The second-place finish for Elias may not have been a win on the day, but it was as far as the championship goes, as he now leads Beaubier by 39 points, 246-207.

Gerloff, meanwhile, is third in the series standings with 181 points after his first career Superbike victory.

Beaubier was third for the second day in a row after controlling most of practice and qualifying. Fourth place went Elias’ Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Josh Herrin, the Georgian in the mix for second place early in the race before fading back to the clutches of Attack Performance Estenson Racing’s JD Beach.

Herrin was able to beat Beach to the line by some two seconds.

Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz rebounded from a race crash yesterday to finish sixth today, the South African holding off Scheibe Racing BMW’s Jake Gagne at the finish.

M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Jake Lewis was eighth with Omega Moto’s Cameron Petersen and Uribe Racing’s Jayson Uribe rounding out the top 10 finishers.

To wrap up the weekend, the Supersport class took to the track for their one scheduled race at the MotoAmerica Championship of Monterey, and it was a good one, especially for M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Bobby Fong.

The California rider got a great jump off the front row at the start, and also got the holeshot over Rickdiculous Racing Yamaha rider Hayden Gillim. Fong was never headed in the race, and Gillim ultimately crashed out unhurt, which contributed to Fong taking the victory over second-place finisher PJ Jacobsen.

The win vaulted Fong into the Supersport Championship lead with an 18-point advantage over Gillim in second.

Sunday’s Liqui Moly Junior Cup race was another dominant performance by Ninja400R.com/Norton Motorsports/Dr. Farr Kawasaki rider Rocco Landers, who started from the pole and led from start to finish to notch his seventh win out of nine races so far this year.

PORTLAND, Ore. – West Pro/Am team Jon Miller and Harry Gottsacker won Sunday afternoon’s GT4 America SprintX race at Portland Int’l Raceway, part of the 59th annual Rose Cup Races presented by Fastlife.TV.

Matt Travis and Jason Hart won the national Pro/Am class.

Overall race pole-sitter and West Am competitor Drew Staveley led the pack to the line for the 60-minute, 45-lap contest. Third-on-the-grid Pro/Am driver Hart had a great start and vaulted up into second through turn one.

West Pro/Am class driver Jason Wolfe started second and slotted in behind Hart in third. In the SprintX Am division, Matthew Keegan slotted into seventh overall on the first lap.

On lap two, Hart and Wolfe would go side by side through turn one, with the driver of the No. 38 machine taking back second. Gottsacker moved up into fourth at that point.

The leaders held their positions through lap 19 and into the 10-minute pit window for driver changes. Gottsacker was the first of the lead group into the pits and handed over the reins to teammate Miller. Keegan then came in and handed over to Preston Calvert.

Wolfe came into the pits on the 23rd lap, with teammate Samantha Tan getting behind the wheel. On lap 24, Hart came in and handed over to Travis. Staveley remained out on track and came in just before the pit window expired on lap 25.

With the pit window closed, Frank Gannett exited the pits behind the wheel of the No. 24 machine and reassumed the overall race lead, with Travis in second, Tan in third and Miller fourth. Calvert slotted into ninth overall and first in Am.

By lap 26, Travis passed Gannett for the overall race lead, Miller had moved past Tan into third, and Rearden Racing’s Vesko Kozarovhad charged up into fifth – teammate Jeff Burton started 15th on the day.

Calvert remained in ninth overall and first in the Am class. Miller continued his charge to the front passing Gannett through turn one on lap 30 and then Travis on lap 34.

Kozarov then began hunting down Gannett for the West Am lead and moved up into fourth overall in the race. By lap 38, Kozarov caught Gannett and executed a pass through turns eight and nine to move up into third overall and first in the West Am category.

Kozarov then passed Travis to slot into second overall in the race.

At the checkered, Miller crossed the line ahead of Kozarov, Travis, Gannett and Tan.

Calvert finished 10th overall and first in Am, while Miller and Gottsacker claimed the West Pro/Am win, with Kozarov and Burton coming in as winners of the West Am division.

Travis and Hart won the national Pro/Am class.

“The race went well. I was able to have a clean start, held my ground and was able to give Jon (Miller) a great race car,” said Gottsacker in victory circle. “Jon literally just tore them up out there and went straight to the front and got a good gap to finish it.”

“It was an awesome race. Two green flag races all the way which is for our driver pairing Harry (Gottsacker) and I we hope for green flag racing,” added Miller. “It plays into our strategy. That’s what happened this weekend and especially today. Harry set the pace up from and left me some tires at the end which for our car; that’s where we struggle is keeping the tires on it. I just took it to the end and the overall win. Super happy.”

TORONTO – Roman De Angelis is in a league of his own this year in Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama competition, as he showcased once again over the weekend at Indy Toronto.

In a rare statistical feat, De Angelis started from the pole position in both rounds of the doubleheader weekend after having posted the two fastest laps in Saturday’s qualifying, with both laps eight and nine being an identical time of one minute, 12.966 seconds.

The first instance scored him the pole for race one on Saturday, while the second scored him the pole for race two – for which the grid is set by either a driver’s second quickest qualifying lap or their fastest lap in Race 1 – whichever is fastest.

On Sunday, the 18-year-old from Belle River, Ontario, took ownership of the lead from the drop of the green flag and proceeded on to another flag-to-flag victory as he did on Saturday.

It was De Angelis’ third consecutive weekend sweep in GT3 Cup Challenge Canada and seventh consecutive victory through eight rounds of the season.

As De Angelis described, the only difference between his race one win on Saturday and his race two victory on Sunday was the weather.

Drivers faced mixed weather conditions for the first race of the doubleheader, while Sunday offered sunny skies and higher temperatures.

“The heat definitely plays a factor when you’re driving, especially when there’s not a lot going on around you,” said De Angelis. “It was kind of quiet out there today, so trying to keep focused with the heat. You’re sweating and we’re losing our energy pretty much the whole time. Just trying to keep focused is really difficult.”

With four rounds remaining, De Angelis holds a strong lead in the GT3 Cup Challenge Canada championship. The next two rounds will take place at Road America on Aug. 2-4, which will be the second and final joint event of the year with Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama, which De Angelis also competes in.

The first came in June at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, which was De Angelis first doubleheader victory of the GT3 Cup Challenge Canada season.

“I’m looking forward to Road America. I think Montreal was really fun and a great event for us in general, so hopefully we can do the same thing we did there. It’s always fun when the Americans and the Canadians go at it together, especially being part of both, so I’m really looking forward to that.”

Finishing second on the podium in both races at Indy Toronto was Jeff Kingsley in the No. 16 Policaro Motorsport Porsche.

Third on the leaderboard and also earning the Yokohama Tire Hard Charger Award for gaining the most positions during the 45-minute race was Michael Di Meo in the No. 96 Porsche for OpenRoad Racing.

Di Meo, at his hometown event, started seventh on the grid but ended up on the podium, even despite a scratch against the wall to start the race.

“We started seventh and in a field where all the cars are so closely matched, it’s tough to even gain one position in a race, let alone we came back to third,” said Di Meo. “We just drove hard, never lost focus even though we hit the wall pretty good in the first couple laps. I thought the car was going to be pretty mangled because it felt like a hard hit. The guys came on the radio and just said to stay calm, let the race come to you and drive it, whatever it is, just drive it and keep going.

“One by one we got lucky and we picked some people off and maintained the pace, which I thought was pretty good despite the car we had. I couldn’t believe we ended up in third.”

Meanwhile, following in the footsteps of his Mark Motors teammate, Marco Cirone in the No. 88 Porsche scored his fourth consecutive Platinum Masters victory, after sweeping the weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park last week and doing so again this weekend.

Cirone is in search of his sixth GT3 Cup Challenge Canada Platinum Masters championship

“That was fantastic,” said Cirone. “The team as usual gives me an awesome car. Today I woke up and I said, ‘I’m going to try as hard, I’m not going to be as timid as I was yesterday considering the conditions.’ I woke up to drive this morning. I was very aggressive. I tried to stay as clean as possible and the results were great for us. Finishing fourth overall and first in Masters, I couldn’t ask for any better.”

An incident early in the race halted on-track action for about 10 minutes, with the No. 99 Kelly-Moss/AM Motorsports Porsche Alan Metni scraping the wall and careening into the back of Patrick Dussault’s No. 77 Lauzon Autosport Porsche.

While both cars made strong impact into the turn nine tire barriers, each driver was able to walk away.

KNOXVILLE, Iowa – Tony Shilling of Knoxville took the 31st annual Marion County Fair Enduro at Knoxville Raceway Sunday night.

In a race that went the full 200 laps, the win paid him $1,000 for his efforts.

Two-time Enduro winner Tyler Sutter seemed to have the car to beat, but suffered myriad of issues that needed three pit stops. He would eventually retire a handful of laps from the end.

Each time, Sutter had issues, Shilling would retake the lead in a classic battle of “the tortoise and the hare.” Shilling’s final pass for the lead came with 8:49 left in the event. His 200th lap coincided with the two hour time limit.

It was Shilling’s first Enduro win, but he does have a pair of 360 sprint car wins to his credit here. Des Moines native Blake Miller finished second for the second year in a row, pocketing $700, and Todd Zobe grabbed $500 for third.

Just three red flag periods were encountered along the way for various reasons, such as debris on the track, as well as removal of stalled cars which were in a dangerous position.

The finish:

1. 74, Tony Shilling, Knoxville, 200 (laps completed)
2. 1, Blake Miller, Des Moines
3. 17, Todd Zobel, Des Moines
4. 75, Marty Erdman, Jonesville, MN
5. 4, Branden Lee, Knoxville
6. 5m, Mike Goff, Lacona
7. 14T, Tyler Sutter, Pleasantville
8. 7x, Ryan Lundy, Knoxville
9. 51, Jason Everley, Knoxville
10. 4E, Brian Clarke, Knoxville
11. 00J, Joe Graves, Melcher-Dallas
12. 69, Chad DeJong, Knoxville
13. 10s, Dave Seddon, Knoxville
14. 78, Mike DeJong, Knoxville
15. 50, Wes Alexander, Melcher-Dallas
16. 47T, Cory Moore, Knoxville
17. 10, Trevor Flesher, Lacona
18. 22, Seth Vernon, Knoxville
19. 33m, Jamie Matheny, Des Moines
20. 75A, Brad Alexander, Melcher-Dallas

HARRISON, N.J. -- Dome Torrent believes the referee "100 percent" made a mistake that cost New York City FC in Sunday's 2-1 Hudson River Derby loss to the New York Red Bulls.

A 60th-minute header by midfielder Daniel Royer gave the Red Bulls the match-winning lead, but it was a controversial non-call in the build-up to the goal that proved to be the match's main talking point.

In the preceding play, NYCFC thought they had conceded a corner, a point backed up by the linesman pointing with his flag to signal as such. Instead, the Red Bulls took a quick throw-in -- catching NYCFC, who were setting up for a corner, in limbo -- and Cristian Casseres Jr. crossed into the box where Royer headed it beyond goalkeeper Sean Johnson.

The right call was in fact a throw-in, but referee Alan Kelly never signalled that he was overriding the linesman's call. NYCFC head coach Torrent told Kelly that the lack of a clear signal was the deciding factor in his team's loss at Red Bull Arena.

"I say: 'You make a mistake and you know that.' He know that, he know that 100 percent," Torrent said after the match.

"You have to review on the TV if you don't. It's clear. It's not just one second, it's three seconds."

NYCFC captain Alex Ring backed up Torrent's comments, before accusing referee Kelly of being "part of the Red Bull team."

"It's just a shame to lose the points because I think the referee had a horrible game today," Ring said.

"He doesn't say anything, he just let the play continue as if he is part of the Red Bull team.

"I think it is just common decency. If it's that clear, the linesman shows to the corner flag -- I agree that it is a throw-in because I saw it the same way and then you let everyone know.

"I talked with a couple of Red Bull players who were surprised as well. I think we have to speak about this because it is not the first time we've had games go against us because of the referee."

What happened after the goal was organized chaos around Kelly, with nearly every NYCFC player on the field surrounding him angrily for several minutes. The protests continued after the match, with players and the staff arguing as Kelly walked off the field and through the tunnel at Red Bull Arena.

Alex Muyl, who made the quick decision to take a throw-in, didn't see the linesman signal a corner kick. He also didn't see any indication from Kelly that it was a throw-in or any other call. He just threw the ball in.

"For me, it was clearly a throw-in, that's why I threw it in," Muyl told ESPN FC. "If I had seen him put a corner, I would have gotten ready for a corner."