Carlos Vela took his MLS leading goals tally to 15 as LAFC thrashed the visiting Montreal Impact 4-2 at Banc of California Stadium on Friday night.

The win extends LAFC's unbeaten run to seven games and keeps them undefeated at home with a record of seven wins and one draw.

Goalkeeper Evan Bush gifted the hosts their opening goal, misplaying the ball out of the back and allowing Christian Ramirez to block his clearance into the back of the net.

MLS goals leader Vela then pulled the strings for the next two goals, getting in behind the Montreal defense and beating Bush to double LAFC's lead before picking out Diego Rossi, who squared to Latif Blessing for a tap in to make it 3-0 at half-time.

Vela looked to have struck again at the start of the second half with a cheeky chip over Bush after another Montreal giveaway, but the linesman's flag was up for offside and the goal was ruled out.

However, the Western Conference leaders scored seconds later when Tristan Blackmon lost his marker in the penalty area and powered home a header from a corner kick to make it 4-0.

LAFC's Eddie Segura redirected the ball into his own net from an Impact cross to give the visitors their first goal. Saphir Taïder then scored from the penalty spot to halve the deficit as full-time approached after Walker Zimmerman brought down Anthony Jackson-Hamel in the area.

Despite playing their fourth game in 14 days, LAFC showed no signs of fatigue, outshooting the Impact by a 17-9 margin (10-6 in shots on goal), in a match that seemed more lopsided than those statistics might suggest.

Bush's error notwithstanding, the goalkeeper often looked outstanding in making six saves to keep the final score respectable. The Impact have just one victory (1-3-1) over their past five matches.

The win means Bob Bradley's team have now earned 34 points from its first 15 matches to top the Western Conference and stay nine ahead of the third-placed Galaxy, who beat Orlando City on Friday, and eight points ahead of the Seattle Sounders, who play Sporting Kansas City on Sunday.

The final game of the 2018-19 season in Germany is Saturday's DFB Pokal (German Cup) final between Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig. Will the Bavarians complete a memorable league/cup double, or will the fledgling side from Saxony upset Niko Kovac & Co.?

Here's what you need to know ahead of the game in Berlin -- live on ESPNEWS, 5/25, 2 p.m. ET -- and an exclusive interview with Bayern winger Serge Gnabry.

German Cup final preview

WHO'S THE FAVORITE? Eighteen-time DFB Pokal winners Bayern are widely expected to win, but they know better than most that cup games don't necessarily go according to plan: the German champions sensationally lost last year's final against rank outsiders Eintracht Frankfurt, 3-1. Third-place RBL are a better side than the Eagles were in 2017-18, especially at the back. Their defensive solidity -- they conceded the fewest goals in the league and held Bayern to a 0-0 draw at home two weeks ago -- will give them a decent shot at causing an upset, too.

KEY BATTLE: Marcel Halstenberg vs. Gnabry & Co. RB Leipzig's 27-year-old left-back will have to close down Bayern's strong right flank, where Gnabry combines with the constantly overlapping defender Joshua Kimmich to great effect. But even if Halstenberg, a contender for a starting spot with Germany, frustrates Gnabry, the battle is not quite won. Arjen Robben will be bursting with ambition on the touchline, eager to perform his favourite party trick as a substitute for Bayern one last time.

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X FACTOR, BAYERN MUNICH: James Rodriguez has not started a game for Bayern since the 1-1 draw with SC Freiburg at the end of March. After overcoming a persistent calf injury, the Colombian is back in contention to add his unique brand of creativity as a substitute in case Thomas Müller's unpredictable game fails to come off against Leipzig's excellent pressing game. The 27-year-old's possible intervention would be very timely: chances are he will go back to Real Madrid after the match in Berlin.

X FACTOR, RB LEIPZIG: Yussuf Poulsen has only scored one goal in all of April and May, in the 3-1 semifinal cup win over Hamburger SV, but that dry spell disguises a hugely productive season. The Danish centre-forward's 19 strikes in all competitions have gone a long way to take the Saxons to third place in the Bundesliga. Bayern's backline can ill-afford the threat posed by the 24-year-old, especially in transition.

BAYERN NEED TO ... be patient and accurate in possession, and immediately counter-press when their attacks break down to stop Leipzig exposing them on the break. As the superior footballing side, they should aim to exhaust their hard-running opponents by moving the ball around.

RB LEIPZIG NEED TO ... Ralf Rangnick will aim to double or triple up in wide areas, to force Bayern's game into the congested centre. The key is to find one of the attackers in the half-space between Bayern's full-backs and central midfield playmaker Thiago with pinpoint vertical balls immediately after a successful recovery.

PREDICTION: Bayern will edge a tense midfield to win 1-0 in extra-time.

Serge Gnabry is taking his career in stride

When social media was awash with snide comments after he joined FC Bayern Munich in the summer of 2017, Serge Gnabry simply shrugged. It wasn't the first time people told him that he couldn't do what he wanted to do, and probably not the last. "You hear what's going on. Lots of people were saying that I was making a mistake, that I would never play for Bayern," the 23-year-old forward told ESPN.

The reaction had been the same when he moved from VfB Stuttgart to Arsenal at the age of 16 -- "everyone said 'don't go, you have to stay here, you won't make it'" -- and even the U-7s of his local village club initially turned him down. At 4½ years old, Serge was technically too young to join, but his father Jean-Hermann, a former amateur player at TSV who had moved to Swabia from the Ivory Coast and married a local girl, wouldn't take "nein" for an answer. He could see that the boy was already more skilled than his would-be peers and more importantly than that, he desperately wanted him out of the house. Serge was regularly smashing up lamps and other bits of furniture, kicking a ball around. Luckily for everyone involved, Weissach relented.

"All I ever wanted to do was play football," said Gnabry said. "My dad pushed and pushed [my youth team] until they agreed to let me play, despite my age. I soon realised that I could do more than the others."

Under the tutelage of his father, Gnabry quickly progressed to join VFB Stuttgart, the biggest club in the southwest of Germany, at the age of 10. There he played in an excellent youth team that featured the likes of Timo Werner (now at RB Leipzig) and his current Bayern teammate, Kimmich. Stuttgart fought tooth and nail to keep him when Arsene Wenger showed an interest in 2011. To no avail. "I was confident that I had the ability to thrive there," said Gnabry.

After a promising early debut for the Gunners, his career in London petered out due to combination of injuries and too much competition. Bayern engineered an €8m move via initial buyers Werder Bremen and a loan to TSG Hoffenheim, but even president Uli Hoeness didn't anticipate him doing as well as he did in his first year at the Allianz Arena. Gnabry immediately became a starter in their seventh consecutive title-winning campaign, scoring 13 goals in 49 games in all competitions -- elite numbers for a wide attacker. Without Gnabry's goals and energy from the right, Bayern would probably not made up a nine-point deficit in December to finish two points ahead of Borussia Dortmund last Saturday.

As much as he's enjoying himself, Gnabry understands that Bayern's ambitions cannot be fulfilled by winning the league alone. Even a domestic double -- completed against Werner, his former teammate -- won't quite make this a successful season. That said, he's capable of appreciating what he has, a lesson he's learned visiting his father's family in the Ivory Coast. Gnabry's been back twice to "soak up the happiness" of his extended family.

"It's very important to know not just the culture of my German side but also the African side," he said. "Everyone knows the difference in life between there and here. It's a completely different mentality; people don't have the same stuff but are still happy. It humbles you." Gnabry last went to Africa ahead of the 2016 Olympics, a tournament that proved instrumental in securing his successful return to Germany. He'll go there for two weeks this June, before the club's trip to the U.S. and preseason training ahead of the next milestone.

In 2019-20, Gnabry will be tasked to lead Bayern and Germany to international glory. Don't tell him he can't do it.

"This won't be as fun as when I was playing," quipped Brad Haddin as he dropped into the chair that was set up in front of cameras and journalists in the Ageas Bowl indoor school ahead of Australia's warm-up match against England.

Whether it was fun or not, it was hardly surprising that Haddin's first press conference for Australia ahead of the Men's World Cup was punctuated by questions surrounding Australia's much-vaunted change in team culture and the team's likely reception by English fans. The former vice-captain was renowned as one of Australia's most combative players, particularly towards the end of his career, a period which has come under scrutiny in the wake of the Newlands ball-tampering scandal.

Barmy Army songs? Heckling from the crowd? All welcome, insisted the current fielding coach.

"I'd be disappointed if the England crowd weren't involved in the game," Haddin said. "One of the pleasures I had in my career was the theatre of touring to England and when the Barmy Army come out to Australia and what it brings to the game.

"The one thing I have noticed is that they still respect good cricket. They'll still have their songs and their fun, but I have never known an English crowd not respect a good hundred or a five-for or a good performance in the field. It's something for me, personally, it was great part of coming to England. It was fun. We don't get a lot of that sort of crowd in Australia so the guys are very excited."

Haddin brushed aside questions about his own conduct around the 2015 final against New Zealand, during which he was memorably involved in 'send-offs' to Grant Elliott and Martin Guptill, and his joking comments that "they deserved it", pointing out that no charges were made by the ICC.

When one journalist suggested Haddin was well-known for his sledging abilities, he laughed in response.

"Beg your pardon?" he replied, with a hint of self-deprecating incredulity.

"You want a contest out there, that doesn't have to be verbalised. That's the way you present yourself with your body, the way you create that environment, you can create that environment with the presence you set. All anyone wants is a fair contest and I think every time Australia play England, we all know we're going to get one hell of a great contest.

"I know the guys are excited about the World Cup and we will play the cricket we always play. There'll be a contest out in the field. But as we know probably better than anyone else, there are places you can go and places that you can't. I hope they are smiling. It's a huge event the World Cup and if they are not smiling it will be disappointing. We'll be encouraging them to smile and compete."

Along with Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer's choice of Haddin as assistant and fielding coach gives the players in the side a wealth of World Cup experience upon which to draw, and they have taken advantage of that fact.

"Yeah it's been good, just informally," Haddin said. "We've had a pretty big lead into this whether it's just over a coffee - you've got a lot of time on the team bus in the UK to get around with the players. You've got obviously Ricky's experience, I think he's been to five and I myself have been to three, but there's also that we all played different roles.

"I remember my first World Cup I had the time of my life in 2007, didn't play a game but that still felt just as good as it did when I played in 2015. So it's just sharing those experiences and the boys are as clear as they possibly can be. If they have got any questions, no question is too silly. Leading into that first game [it's important] they've got a really clear mind of the expectations of a World Cup."

Texas pitcher Miranda Elish, who was helped off the field in the second inning of Friday's NCAA softball super regional game against host Alabama in Tuscaloosa after taking a throw to the face, is "doing well," according to Texas sports information director Brian Davis.

With a runner on first, Alabama's Elissa Brown bunted Elish's pitch off of home plate. Catcher Mary Iakopo grabbed the ball with her bare hand and was already in motion to throw the ball to second base as the umpire called the ball dead and ruled Brown out for her foot being out of the batter's box. Iakopo's throw struck Elish in the face from close range, and the pitcher fell to the ground.

Athletic trainers and medical personnel tended to Elish in the pitcher's circle. She was helped off the field toward the clubhouse to a standing ovation from the Tuscaloosa crowd.

Elish, who transferred from Oregon, was taken to a local hospital emergency room as a precaution.

Texas coach Mike White told ESPN between the third and the fourth innings that Elish "is hurting a little but in good spirits." However, White also said Elish would not be available for Saturday's decisive Game 3, according to WVUA 23.

Shealyn O'Leary replaced Elish, who had pitched every inning of Texas' four elimination games in the regionals, as the Longhorns rallied from a 4-0 deficit to win 7-5 and extend their season.

Iakopo hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning to start the Longhorns' rally. In a 4-4 game in the fourth inning, she drove in two runs when her bases-loaded grounder was thrown away.

In a move that could disrupt some types of betting on the Finals, the NBA plans to cut off unauthorized sportsbooks from accessing the league's official data feed starting next week.

Sportradar, an authorized data distributor for the NBA, sent a letter Thursday notifying sportsbook operators that the league was forcing it to "cease providing to you NBA Official Data for use in the United States unless and until you are an Authorized Gaming Operator of the NBA."

According to the letter, obtained by ESPN, Sportradar will shut down access of the feed at 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Game 1 of the Finals is Thursday.

The NBA has partnered with three sportsbook operators: MGM, FanDuel and The Stars Group. As official league gaming partners, those bookmaking companies have access to the official data feed.

The NBA declined comment Friday, instead pointing to what a league official told Bloomberg earlier this month.

"The NBA's sports betting partners recognize the value of official NBA data and work with us to protect the integrity of our games," NBA head of fantasy and gaming Scott Kaufman-Ross told Bloomberg. "We provided a season-long grace period for other betting operators to have access to official NBA data while we discussed partnership terms. While that period is ending -- something distributors and operators have known since the start of the season -- we remain committed to securing additional sports betting partnerships."

Sportradar did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ESPN.

Last May, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, the federal statute that had restricted state-sponsored sports betting to primarily Nevada. Since the ruling, legal, full-scale sportsbooks have opened in Delaware, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia, and several more states plan to enter the bookmaking business at some point this year.

The NBA's data feed is primarily used by sportsbooks to run their live betting options, updating odds that are offered on different outcomes throughout the game. Live or in-game betting is a growing market in the U.S. but still does not represent significant betting handle for sportsbooks in Las Vegas. The vast majority of money bet on in-game wagering options is on the point spread, money-line and over/under total points, bookmakers say.

The Las Vegas sportsbook operators that have not signed deals with the NBA are mulling their options, including manually producing the live odds or simply stopping live wagering on the NBA altogether.

Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic is taking his talents to the world stage.

The 24-year-old announced on Friday that he will be playing in the 2019 FIBA World Cup for his native Serbia.

"I am very pleased with everything I did in the NBA this season. I had a great year in which I performed at the All-Star Game and was selected [to the All-NBA first team]. For me, the cherry on top of this whole season would be a medal with the national team," Jokić told Serbian State News Agency. "I am fully prepared to do my best to achieve this goal."

The center had a breakout season in his fourth year, averaging 20.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists. He also helped carry the Nuggets to their first Western Conference semifinals series in a decade.

Jokic already has two silver medals as a member of the Serbia national team, with his most recent one coming after a loss to the U.S. in the 2016 Olympic Games.

The 2019 FIBA World Cup begins Aug. 31 in China.

Houston Astros right fielder George Springer left Friday night's 4-3 win against the Boston Red Sox with a left hamstring injury and likely will be placed on the injured list, manager AJ Hinch said.

Springer was hurt attempting to catch a Xander Bogaerts pop foul in the top of the eighth inning. Springer sprinted in from right field and clutched at his left leg as he slid feet first for the ball, which bounced in front of him. He immediately was in pain before limping off the field and being replaced by Tony Kemp.

"We'll get him evaluated," Hinch said. "I'm not looking forward to the diagnosis, to be honest. It doesn't look very good. He never pulls himself out of a game like that; he was limping from the very beginning."

Springer, who leads the American League with 17 home runs and 43 RBIs, said he was still hoping to get some good news on the severity of the injury on Saturday.

"Yeah, it sucks, to be honest," he said. "It's hard, but I'll make it through, and just gotta support the team the best way that I can."

Friday was Springer's first game since Sunday, as he previously had been dealing with lower back tightness.

Springer went 0-for-3 on Friday night, driving in a run with a sacrifice fly.

The Orioles are giving up home runs at a historic rate, the Braves and Cardinals will be squaring off in a premium matchup between potential playoff teams, and the latest Dodger with a scoreless inning streak will put his chance to make history on the line.

Here's how we see those matchups and what else we're looking forward to:

Sunday Night Baseball (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET) features a pair of playoff contenders, with the Atlanta Braves facing the St. Louis Cardinals. Which of those teams is more likely to make the postseason?

Eddie Matz: I'm nowhere near as smart as the folks who run sites like FanGraphs, Baseball Prospectus and Baseball Reference. Averaging out the playoffs odds on all three sites, the Braves have a 63 percent chance of making the postseason. The Cards are at 48 percent. I'll side with the wise guys and take Atlanta.

Sam Miller: I will admit that I have, like most baseball fans, occasionally overrated the benefits of youth over experience. But this has been a young players' league for the past couple of years, and the Braves -- with the National League's youngest pitching staff and tied for the second-youngest lineup -- fit the moment better than the veteran Cardinals, some of the most veteran of whom are struggling under the weight of age. Anyway, somebody's got to pick up the playoff odds for the listing Nationals and Mets.

David Schoenfield: The Braves still have 13 games remaining against the Marlins. The Cardinals do not. More importantly, the Cardinals' rotation has really struggled and the team has allowed the second-most home runs in the National League. Meanwhile, the Braves have received strong performances so far from Mike Soroka and Max Fried. With the Nationals playing poorly and the Mets scuffling along, the Braves can take advantage of a mediocre NL East.

Speaking of playoff contenders, the Cleveland Indians host the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend. Will the Tribe, which haven't won more than two straight in nearly a month, get their act together and make the playoffs?

Matz: The Twins are legit, so winning the Central seems like a long shot for Cleveland. Snagging a wild card won't be easy, either, as the Indians likely would need to finish ahead of either the Yankees, Red Sox or Rays. Francisco Lindor has finally found his groove, but Jose Ramirez hasn't. So ... can the Tribe make the playoffs? Absolutely. But it sure would help if Ramirez starts producing like his top-five-finish-in-MVP-voting self.

Miller: Probably not, and the front office might figure it's not even worth fighting that hard for a wild-card spot. I'm not all the way convinced Lindor really has found his groove, either. He's so good, he could be an All-Star (if not an MVP candidate) at three-quarters speed; the problem is, according to Statcast's sprint speeds, that isn't that far off.

Schoenfield: The Twins absolutely look like the real deal and have indicated they have payroll room to add something at the trade deadline as needed. You think the Indians will make a big move? Unlikely. Yes, they'll get Mike Clevinger and Corey Kluber back at some point, but right now I'd pick the Twins to win the division and the Indians to battle for -- and fall short of -- a wild-card spot.

The season's two most highly touted rookies -- the Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. -- are in Toronto this weekend. Beyond that pair, there have been numerous impact rookies this year. Who has impressed you the most?

Matz: Pete Alonso is on pace to hit 54 homers, which is pretty dang impressive for anyone, much less a rookie. But I'm reasonably certain that in MLB's current offensive climate, my fourth-grade son could hit 54 bombs. I'm infinitely more impressed by pitching prowess these days. What Mike Soroka has done -- he has surrendered just one homer and hasn't allowed more than one earned run in any of his seven starts -- is just plain crazy.

Miller: I'll take it on faith that David, who said last week he was going to rename his dogs -- rename! give them new names! -- after Chris Paddack, will take care of that response next. I've been in awe of Tampa Bay rookie Brandon Lowe's swing. He's not big, doesn't look imposing, but he hunts for early-count strikes and has a knack for pulling and elevating anything in the zone. That's not the right approach for every hitter, but it's working for Lowe.

Schoenfield: Of course, I have to mention Soroka and Paddack here, two keys to my current first-place fantasy team. What, you don't want to hear about that? Sorry. Oh, Yusei Kikuchi is on my team as well and he's been a solid rookie starter, although obviously he isn't a rookie in the traditional sense. Maybe the most surprising/impressive rookie performer has been Michael Chavis of the Red Sox. We knew he had big-time power potential, but he also had an 80-game PED suspension last season and a high strikeout rate. We also didn't expect to see much of him, as he was buried behind Rafael Devers on the depth chart at third base. He has kept his strikeouts relatively intact, but most impressively he has played a solid second base after playing mostly third base in the minors.

You guys aren't rookies, but you're certainly impressive. What's on top of your weekend must-see list?

Matz: In the past 100 years, there have been six players who have had at least 50 steals and 100 RBIs in the same season (Barry Bonds did it most recently, in 1990). Adalberto Mondesi is on pace for 56 and 132. With seven triples already, he's also on pace for 23 of The Most Exciting Play In Baseball. There has only been one guy in MLB history to ever record 20 triples, 50 steals and 100 RBIs in a single season. (Hint: his name rhymes with Schmy Schmobb.) All of which is to say, I'm going to pay a little extra attention to the Royals.

Miller: Domingo German is going for his 10th win and it's still May. Wins aren't my stat, but my inner 8-year-old still loves to see a ludicrous win-loss record now and again, so I'll be watching Sunday to see if German can improve to 10-1 and stay on pace for an extremely unlikely 30-win season. (Heck, I'd take 29.)

Schoenfield: I'm developing a disturbing fascination with all the home runs the Orioles are allowing. Entering Thursday's game against the Yankees, they've allowed 105 home runs in 49 games, a season pace of 347. That's almost incomprehensible. It would be like Bob Beamon long-jumping 29 feet, 2½ inches at the 1968 Olympics, completely destroying the previous record. And this weekend? The Orioles play in Denver. Protect the kids.

PICK 'EM TIME

Dodgers lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu brings a streak of 31 consecutive scoreless innings into Pittsburgh. Closest to the pin: How long will Ryu's streak last?

Matz: Four of the 10 longest streaks in the live ball era belong to Dodgers: Hershiser, Drysdale, Greinke, Kershaw. Ryu needs 10 more innings to break into that top 10 and become the fifth Dodger. He'll get eight against the Pirates, seven against the Mets after that, and then lose it in the first inning at Arizona. So let's call it 45⅓ innings, tying him with Carl Hubbell for fifth longest.

Miller: I've been debating with a friend about how many innings it takes for a scoreless streak to become must-watch. I say 32 -- since then he's only, theoretically, three outings away from Hershiser -- but my friend insists it's at least 35, since nobody goes nine innings anymore. Anyway, enough stalling: The Pirates have been the fourth-worst offense in baseball against lefties this year, so I'll be optimistic and say he goes six scoreless and gives me and my friend the right to get hyped.

Schoenfield: I say Josh Bell goes yard and ends the streak at 36 innings.

The Orioles are giving up home runs at a record pace (and then some). This weekend they're in the thin air at Coors Field, a potentially volatile combination. Over/under for home runs allowed by the Orioles this weekend at Coors: 6.5

Matz: (Total number of times the O's have allowed more than six homers in a road series this year) + (Total number of time the Rockies have hit more than six homers in a home series this year) = One. I'll take the under.

Miller: I reject Eddie's implied home/road distinction for the Orioles' prodigious dinger-allowing rate. I believe in their ability to allow homers in any park, and certainly in Coors. The Orioles have allowed five or more homers in a game seven times this year, and I really only need one of those to nearly guarantee the over. So I'll take the over.

Schoenfield: Over.

Who wins Sunday night -- Braves or Cardinals?

Matz: Both starters (Jack Flaherty and Julio Teheran) have been much better at home this season. In related news, this game will take place in The Lou. Dame los Cardenales, por favor.

Miller: I like Flaherty so much that I refuse to ever look at his stats. He's a star. I know it. I don't need "proof" or even "supporting evidence." I bet his ERA is, like, 1.60. I'll take the Cardinals.

Schoenfield: Flaherty is the scheduled starter for St. Louis and I keep waiting for him to roll out three or four dominant starts in a row, but he hasn't found a consistent groove yet and walked five Braves two starts ago. Teheran, meanwhile, has allowed just two runs over his past four outings. I'll go with the hot hand and pick the Braves.

TWO TRUE OUTCOMES

Each week, we ask our panelists to choose one hitter they think will hit the most home runs and one pitcher they think will record the most strikeouts in the coming weekend. Panelists can pick a player only once for the season. We'll keep a running tally -- and invite you to play along at home.

Home run hitters

Matz: Marcell Ozuna

Miller: Nolan Arenado

Schoenfield: Dang, I already used Trevor Story, and Sam beat me to Arenado. We're on the same page here. Charlie Blackmon is dinged up, so I guess that leaves me with ... Ian Desmond? (And, yes, I might pick against the Orioles the rest of the season.)

Strikeout pitchers

Matz: Caleb Smith

Miller: Chris Paddack

Schoenfield: Noah Syndergaard