I Dig Sports
McCarron goes wire-to-wire to win Champions event at TPC Sugarloaf
Published in
Golf
Sunday, 21 April 2019 11:34
DULUTH, Ga. - Scott McCarron completed a wire-to-wire victory in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic on Sunday for his third victory at TPC Sugarloaf.
The winner of the PGA Tour defunct BellSouth Classic at the course in 1997 and 2001, McCarron closed with a 1-under 72 for a two-stroke victory over Jerry Kelly, Joe Durant, Kirk Triplett and Kent Jones in the PGA Tour Champions event.
The 53-year-old McCarron finished at 7-under 209 for his ninth victory on the 50-and-over tour. He won three times on the PGA Tour.
McCarron lost the lead with a slow start, playing the first four holes in 1 over with two birdies, a bogey and double bogey on the par-5 third. He birdied the par-4 13th to break a tie with Durant and opened a two-stroke lead with an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-4 15th.
Full-field scores from Mitsubishi Electric Classic
McCarron earned $270,000 and took the lead in the Charles Schwab Cup points race.
Kelly birdied the final two holes for a 67. Durant, Triplett and Jones shot 69.
Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz tied for 61st among the 77 finishers at 11 over, shooting 80-74-73. The former Atlanta Braves star got into the field on a sponsor exemption. He tied for 53rd in Tucson, Arizona, in March his tour debut.
Fellow former big league pitcher Shigetoshi Hasegawa had a 74 to tie for 72nd at 15 over. He also got a sponsor exemption.
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Pushed by wife, Pan surges to first win on Sunday at RBC Heritage
Published in
Golf
Sunday, 21 April 2019 11:49
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. - C.T. Pan watched the Masters last week with his wife, and sometimes caddie, Yingchun Lin, thrilled by Tiger Woods' stirring victory at Augusta National.
His wife, Pan recalled, told him point blank, ''Hey, I'm not patient, so you better get me (to Augusta) as soon as possible.''
Pan complied quickly, taking advantage of top-ranked Dustin Johnson's back-nine meltdown Sunday to win the RBC Heritage for his first PGA Tour victory.
Along with $1.242 million, the win opens a world of opportunities for the 27-year-old Taiwanese player: He's exempt on tour through 2020-21, in line to make the Presidents Cup International team this year and will have an opportunity he's dreamed about since taking up the game in the mid-1990s by playing at Augusta National.
''It's a good problem to have,'' Pan said.
Pan shot a 4-under 67 to finish at 12-under 272, a stroke ahead of Matt Kuchar and two in front of Patrick Cantlay, Scott Piercy and Shane Lowry. Kuchar had a 67, Cantlay and Piercy had 69s and Lowry a 70.
The top-ranked Johnson, the third-round leader in his home-state event, had a 77 to tie for 28th at 4 under. He played a five-hole stretch in 7 over, making bogeys on Nos. 11-13 and double bogeys on Nos. 14-15.
Pan took the lead for good with a 9-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th.
Pan headed to the practice range after the round to keep ready in case of a playoff, then raised his arms in triumph when told he'd won.
''It's still really hard for me to believe,'' he said. ''I'm processing. My phone has been vibrating the last 10 minutes. I'm so happy I finally got it done.''
Pan won twice on the PGA Tour Canada in 2015 when he turned professional. He's finished second twice in PGA Tour events, once at the Farmers Insurance Open in 2017 and last year at the Wyndham Championship.
Full-field scores from the RBC Heritage
RBC Heritage: Articles, photos and videos
Johnson, the 20-time PGA Tour champ, carried a one-shot lead into the final round and the South Carolina native seemed a strong bet to add the Palmetto State's only tour stop to his trophy case. But Johnson never found a rhythm early and lost all hope with his uncharacteristic drop off.
He had a birdie on the fifth to stay on top but then his collapse started mildly with a bogey on the par-3 seventh hole. It took full flight on the back nine.
Johnson's frustrations were on full display on the par-4 13th when his approach went into the bunker, a foot or so from the wooden-board facing. He barely got it out, shook his head and tossed his wedge down against his bag.
He flew his tee shot into the water on the par-3 14th to drop two more shots. Johnson added a second double bogey on the par-5 15th, a hole he had birdied the first three rounds.
Johnson waved to the stands on the 18th when he closed with a birdie.
Lowry, who had three bogeys over his final six holes Saturday to lose a lead he held much of the week, appeared to regain his earlier form with birdies on the second, fifth and sixth holes to take a two-shot lead. But a bogey on the straightforward, par-4 ninth - Lowry had birdied it two of the first three rounds - dropped him back. He stubbed a pair of chips on the 12th hole en route to a double bogey.
Lowry scratched back within a shot of Pan with a birdie on the 14th, but could come no closer.
He said he'll take positives from the week. ''Look, after coming so close, it's hard to describe what it's like,'' Lowry said ''But I'm sure I'll get over it and move on to next week.''
Kuchar, the 2014 winner at Harbour Town, put together a charge of five birdies to tie Pan at the top. But a bogey on the par-3 17th following a tee shot into the bunker ruined his chances of a second tartan jacket.
''It was so much fun,'' Kuchar said. ''Getting in the mix on the back nine here on Sunday. That back nine, I was really, really enjoying myself.''
Cantlay looked good for a second straight weekend - he went 64-68 his final two rounds at the Masters to tie for ninth - but his chip from just off the green on the 18th for a tying birdie did not come close and he settled for a final-round 69.
''I hit a lot of solid shots and (it) just wasn't enough,'' he said.
Pan's wife was key to his playing here this week. He had planned to attend a junior event in Houston he helped organize. But Yingchun Lin told him to get back to work and let her handle things down there.
''Just listen to your wife,'' Pan said. ''And you will have a good life. She's right, always.''
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World No. 1 Johnson crumbles down stretch at RBC Heritage
Published in
Golf
Sunday, 21 April 2019 12:42
It was an afternoon to forget for world No. 1 Dustin Johnson at the RBC Heritage.
After knocking in nearly 160 feet worth of putts in the third round, Johnson entered the finale at Harbour Town with a one-shot lead as he sought his third worldwide win of the year. Even after a slow start, he made the turn in even par to retain a share of the lead amid a crowd of contenders.
But things went south very quickly for Johnson, whose title chances crumbled in a five-hole stretch from Nos. 11-15. A wayward drive on 11 led to a bogey, and he dropped another shot on the par-4 12th. He made his third bogey in a row on No. 13, where he missed the green from 117 yards away in the fairway.
Things got worse on the par-3 14th, where he dropped two shots after hitting his tee shot into the water, and he made another double bogey on No. 15. It added up to a five-hole stretch in which Johnson was 7 over, and even after a birdie on the final hole he fell from the lead into a tie for 28th. His final-round 77, which included a 6-over 41 on the back nine, beat only defending champion Satoshi Kodaira (82) among players who made the cut.
Despite his 54-hole position, this snaps a run of five straight stroke-play starts in which Johnson cracked the top 10, a stretch that started at the Genesis Open in February and included his win at last month's WGC-Mexico Championship. This is actually the third time that Johnson has shot 77 or higher in the final round when starting with the lead, two more than any other player in the last 15 years. The other instances came at the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and the 2017 WGC-HSBC Champions.
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RBC Heritage purse payout: Pan gets paid for first Tour win
Published in
Golf
Sunday, 21 April 2019 23:32
Here is the complete FedExCup points and purse breakdown for winner C.T. Pan and the rest of the players who made the cut at the 2019 RBC Heritage.
| Finish | Player | FedEx | Earnings ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C.T. Pan | 500.00 | 1,242,000.00 |
| 2 | Matt Kuchar | 300.00 | 745,200.00 |
| T3 | Patrick Cantlay | 145.00 | 358,800.00 |
| T3 | Shane Lowry | 145.00 | 358,800.00 |
| T3 | Scott Piercy | 145.00 | 358,800.00 |
| T6 | J.T. Poston | 91.66 | 231,150.00 |
| T6 | Seamus Power | 91.66 | 231,150.00 |
| T6 | Kevin Streelman | 91.66 | 231,150.00 |
| 9 | Sam Burns | 80.00 | 200,100.00 |
| T10 | K.J. Choi | 63.66 | 152,950.00 |
| T10 | Troy Merritt | 63.66 | 152,950.00 |
| T10 | Kevin Na | 63.66 | 152,950.00 |
| T10 | Ian Poulter | 63.66 | 152,950.00 |
| T10 | Rory Sabbatini | 63.66 | 152,950.00 |
| T10 | Michael Thompson | 63.66 | 152,950.00 |
| T16 | Rafa Cabrera Bello | 45.00 | 90,620.00 |
| T16 | Joel Dahmen | 45.00 | 90,620.00 |
| T16 | Zach Johnson | 45.00 | 90,620.00 |
| T16 | Jason Kokrak | 45.00 | 90,620.00 |
| T16 | Peter Malnati | 45.00 | 90,620.00 |
| T16 | Trey Mullinax | 45.00 | 90,620.00 |
| T16 | Eddie Pepperell | - | 90,620.00 |
| T16 | Webb Simpson | 45.00 | 90,620.00 |
| T16 | Brian Stuard | 45.00 | 90,620.00 |
| T25 | Harris English | 34.00 | 56,350.00 |
| T25 | Tommy Fleetwood | 34.00 | 56,350.00 |
| T25 | Boo Weekley | 34.00 | 56,350.00 |
| T28 | Dustin Johnson | 28.00 | 46,920.00 |
| T28 | Alex Noren | 28.00 | 46,920.00 |
| T28 | Ryan Palmer | 28.00 | 46,920.00 |
| T28 | Chez Reavie | 28.00 | 46,920.00 |
| T28 | J.J. Spaun | 28.00 | 46,920.00 |
| T33 | Daniel Berger | 20.58 | 36,455.00 |
| T33 | Luke Donald | 20.58 | 36,455.00 |
| T33 | Emiliano Grillo | 20.58 | 36,455.00 |
| T33 | Andrew Landry | 20.58 | 36,455.00 |
| T33 | Denny McCarthy | 20.58 | 36,455.00 |
| T33 | Hudson Swafford | 20.58 | 36,455.00 |
| T39 | Bud Cauley | 16.50 | 30,360.00 |
| T39 | Matthew Fitzpatrick | - | 30,360.00 |
| T41 | Kevin Kisner | 13.50 | 26,220.00 |
| T41 | Danny Lee | 13.50 | 26,220.00 |
| T41 | Luke List | 13.50 | 26,220.00 |
| T41 | Ryan Moore | 13.50 | 26,220.00 |
| T45 | Charley Hoffman | 10.50 | 21,390.00 |
| T45 | Billy Horschel | 10.50 | 21,390.00 |
| T45 | Patton Kizzire | 10.50 | 21,390.00 |
| T48 | Jonathan Byrd | 8.25 | 17,342.00 |
| T48 | Adam Hadwin | 8.25 | 17,342.00 |
| T48 | Kyoung-Hoon Lee | 8.25 | 17,342.00 |
| T48 | Graeme McDowell | 8.25 | 17,342.00 |
| T48 | Brandt Snedeker | 8.25 | 17,342.00 |
| T48 | Scott Stallings | 8.25 | 17,342.00 |
| T54 | Wyndham Clark | 5.97 | 15,801.00 |
| T54 | Brian Gay | 5.97 | 15,801.00 |
| T54 | Brandon Harkins | 5.97 | 15,801.00 |
| T54 | Jordan Spieth | 5.97 | 15,801.00 |
| T58 | Marc Leishman | 5.20 | 15,318.00 |
| T58 | Nick Taylor | 5.20 | 15,318.00 |
| T58 | Richy Werenski | 5.20 | 15,318.00 |
| T61 | Branden Grace | 4.70 | 14,973.00 |
| T61 | Scott Langley | 4.70 | 14,973.00 |
| T63 | Ryan Armour | 4.10 | 14,559.00 |
| T63 | Jason Dufner | 4.10 | 14,559.00 |
| T63 | Mackenzie Hughes | 4.10 | 14,559.00 |
| T63 | Xander Schauffele | 4.10 | 14,559.00 |
| T67 | Cody Gribble | 3.40 | 14,076.00 |
| T67 | Ted Potter, Jr. | 3.40 | 14,076.00 |
| T67 | Ben Silverman | 3.40 | 14,076.00 |
| 70 | Satoshi Kodaira | 3.00 | 13,800.00 |
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After rallying for his maiden PGA Tour victory at the RBC Heritage, C.T. Pan is suddenly on the cusp of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Pan erased a two-shot deficit thanks to a final-round 67 at Harbour Town, finishing one shot ahead of 2014 winner Matt Kuchar. It's Pan's first win at age 27, and he moved from 113th to 55th in the world as a result. The victory earned him a spot in next month's PGA Championship as well as next year's Masters.
Kuchar went from 16th to 12th after his fourth finish of second or better this season, while Ian Poulter moved up four spots to No. 26 after a T-10 finish. Shane Lowry jumped from 50th to 43rd after tying for third, while the same finish helped Scott Piercy move from 107th to 85th.
The top 10 in the world rankings remain the same this week, with world No. 1 Dustin Johnson retaining the top spot despite a final-round collapse at Heritage where he went from 54-hole leader to tied for 28th. Justin Rose stayed at No. 2, followed by Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods, Francesco Molinari, Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler.
There won't be much movement next week in the world rankings, since no OWGR points will be awarded at the Zurich Classic because of the team format.
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Chelsea forward Gonzalo Higuain has said he is at a stage in his life when he is immune to criticism and regrets having felt like a prisoner because of it earlier in his career.
Higuain has received criticism for failure to help Argentina win a major trophy, while he also left Napoli to join arch-rivals Juventus in 2016.
"I always regretted hiding, not going out on the street for fear of what people might say," he told ESPN Argentina TV show Hablemos de futbol. "There are people who cause so much pain and do so many bad things and yet they go out there showing their faces without shame,
"And we, who don't kill anyone, who do things well, who only play a sport, why can't we go out? Once I started to understand this, I started to go out, to live life more. I am grateful for it because life just goes by and suddenly you are 40 or 50 and you can't go back. I live better."
Higuain is playing in his 12th season playing in Europe. He retired from international football last month after scoring 31 goals in 75 international appearances for Argentina.
Higuain was part of the sides which suffered defeats in the finals of the 2014 World Cup, the 2015 Copa America and the 2016 Copa America Centenario -- famously spurning chances in all three.
Asked about the criticism that followed, the 31-year-old said: "I suffered. Even if you don't look at social media, it still reaches you. I'm now at a stage in my life when nothing hurts.
"I've played in the best leagues, the best teams, in three World Cups and in the Copa America. It no longer affects me what people say. I have overcome it. When I was young, I didn't imagine that I would achieve 10 percent of what I have. Why am I going to worry what they say?"
Higuain credits his family for helping him, adding: "I didn't want to be locked up at home as I had been in the past. I didn't want to experience that with my wife and daughter.
"My wife was great help to be able to go out on the street without any fear. It's one of the things that I'm most grateful for, to have overcome this."
Higuain was labelled "a traitor" and "a mercenary" when he left Napoli for Juventus in an Italian-record €90 million transfer in 2016.
"I don't regret joining Juve, if people don't understand this, it's not my problem," Higuain said.
Earlier this year, he was criticised for cutting short his loan spell at AC Milan to join Chelsea in January on loan from Juventus.
"I know that if I want, I can return to any club where I've played," he said. "That is something that fills me with pride.
"I'm a good person and I've always done well wherever I've gone. I want people to love me for being a good person, for who I am, not for how many titles I've won."
Higuain has scored three goals in 10 league appearances for Chelsea, and the club have an option to extend or buy his rights this summer.
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LIVERPOOL, England -- Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted he doesn't know whether all of his players care enough after the 4-0 hammering by Everton.
United slumped to their sixth defeat in eight games after a dismal display at Goodison Park, leaving their top-four hopes hanging by a thread ahead of home games against Manchester City and Chelsea.
Asked afterwards whether he believed his players cared enough to play for the club, Solskjaer, who said members of his squad need a "reality check" on Friday, said: "I don't know.
"You've got to ask them. I've asked them, you're not going get the answer from me but if you want to play at this club it has to mean more.
"We can't change the whole squad. One step at a time. I'm going to be successful here and there are players that won't be part of that."
- Ratings: Pogba, Martial abject at Everton
Solskjaer apologised to United supporters who travelled to Goodison Park after they continued singing throughout the 90 minutes despite watching their biggest Premier League defeat since 2016. The Norwegian will have to lift his players quickly with City visiting Old Trafford on Wednesday followed by a home game against Chelsea four days later.
"That's the biggest incentive we can have, Old Trafford at home in front of our fantastic fans," Solskjaer said.
"They were unbelievable again and they never, ever moaned at our players which they could have. They've been supportive and I'm sure they will be on Wednesday night.
"We've got to focus on these two games. We're still in with a chance to get the points we need for the top four so sometimes, it sounds too easy to say but we have to look forward. You cannot dwell too much on this."
Everton were completely dominant and the 4-0 scoreline didn't flatter Marco Silva's side after registering 15 shots and eight on target. United forced Jordan Pickford into just one save and also ran 8km less than Everton -- a statistic that prompted Solskjaer to lay into his players' fitness.
"A basic thing in a team performance is running," Solskjaer said.
"Our fitness is nowhere near good enough.
"We've been chasing results and are close to the top four and never envisaged being so close when we came in but maybe it's caught up with us.
"We all know to win games of football, it's basics, and fitness is nothing to do with talent."
Solskjaer went over to the travelling fans and apologised after the match -- and former United captain Gary Neville laid into the side following a woeful afternoon.
"I'm furious with the fact that he's [Solskjaer] had to go over to apologise to the fans," Neville said.
"I've often said that if clubs have got weeds in the garden, you've got to get rid of them. There are some Japanese knot weeds at that football club and it's attacking the foundations of the house and needs dealing with properly.
"The fans are not going to turn on Ole. The players have their heads on the line."
"It was embarrassing watching some of those Manchester United players out there today. I have full belief in Ole with what he needs to do. The club will fully support him. That performance today was rancid."
Asked to name which players he believed were a problem, Neville said: "I don't need to name names. They know who they are. They are in the papers every day and are on social media.
"I've fallen into the trap of talking about talent. Forget it if they don't work hard enough."
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
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Nemanja Matic said he was Manchester United's biggest problem during their 4-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.
Midfielder Matic was at fault for Everton's second goal when he allowed Gylfi Sigurdsson the space to score from 20 yards, and the Serbia international admitted he could have done better.
"Many things didn't work for us today," he told TV2. "First of all, our approach.
"I think that the most experienced guys, in this case me, didn't play well today. So I don't think we need to blame the young guys today. I was the biggest problem.
"In these kinds of games, you have to win the battle in the middle, then the team can play better football. We didn't do that."
United remain in the hunt for a place in the top four after both Tottenham and Arsenal lost over the weekend.
- Ratings: Pogba, Martial abject at Everton
They face Manchester City at Old Trafford on Wednesday, and Matic said the players had talked about how to put things right.
"We had one small meeting," Matic said. "We will try to do better in the next few days. We have a big game against Manchester City, so we will see if we're ready.
"We'll keep it behind the doors, but I think it was a good meeting."
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer questioned his players' desire and commitment after the match, while pundit Gary Neville said some of them had been "embarrassing."
Ashley Young, who came on as a half-time substitute, urged his teammates to hit back against City.
"We know how important that's going to be," Young told MUTV. "If you can't get yourselves up for the Manchester derby, there's something wrong.
"I've got confidence that we're going to be ready for Wednesday. We've got to dust ourselves down fairly quickly and go again this week."
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MLS Power Rankings: LAFC stay on top but Sporting KC sink
Published in
Soccer
Monday, 22 April 2019 07:45
April showers bring May flowers... and set up wild MLS seasons chock full of surprising results and consensus-smashing results.
It took a while to get here, but it feels like MLS is finally the league we all know and mostly wring our hands about. A league that provides more than its fair share of chaos. A league that tests our patience with a round of results that confounds as much as it clarifies.
Who's good? Who's bad? These are our weekly MLS Power Rankings.
Previous rankings: Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. LAFC (7 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss)
Previous ranking: 1
Next MLS match: Sunday, April 28, at Seattle (3.30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes)
Okay, so LAFC lost on the road to Vancouver on Wednesday but Bob Bradley's club also made a statement against Seattle on Sunday night, busting up the second-best team in the league with a strong performance at Banc of California Stadium. How good is LAFC? Good enough to remain the best team in MLS. See you all next week.
2. Seattle Sounders (5-1-1)
Previous ranking: 2
Next MLS match: Wednesay, April 24, vs. San Jose Earthquakes (10.30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
There's this: The Sounders were the last unbeaten team in MLS when the whistle blew in LA on Sunday night. That won't make them feel better about the performance, a big loss to LAFC, but there's hope that the season will bend toward Seattle across 34 games. Good team, bad night.
3. LA Galaxy (6-0-1)
Previous ranking: 3
Next MLS match: Wednesday, April 24, at Minnesota (8 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic won himself (another) penalty, Diego Polenta scored his first MLS goal and the Galaxy knocked the Dynamo from the ranks of the unbeaten. The real show on Friday was the battle between Ibrahimovic and AJ De La Garza. Back in his old stomping grounds, De La Garza decide to fight a lion. He did not win.
4. Houston Dynamo (4-1-1)
Previous ranking: 4
Next MLS match: Saturday, April 27, vs. Columbus Crew (8.30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
The unbeaten run was always going to end at some point. Friday's loss wasn't inevitable -- the Dynamo went toe-to-toe with the Galaxy on the road -- but we can't downgrade Houston dramatically because of it. Wilmer Cabrera's team looks to be the real deal and will be in the mix all year for the top spot in the West. If they can hold on to Alberth Elis.
5. FC Dallas (5-1-2)
Previous ranking: 8
Next MLS match: Saturday, April 27, vs. San Jose (3.30 p.m. ET)
First, the facts: Atlanta is not very good right now and beating them isn't all that unique anymore. That being said, walking into Mercedes-Benz Stadium and taking down the champions is no small feat for a young side like FC Dallas. Take note of the goalscorers for the Hoops: 18-year academy product Jesus Ferreira and offseason DP singing Bryan Acosta.
1:31
NYCFC pick up 1st win of the season in D.C.
NYCFC put an end to their six-game winless streak with a victory against Wayne Rooney and D.C. United.
6. D.C. United (4-2-2)
Previous ranking: 5
Next MLS match: Wednesday, April 24, at Columbus Crew (7.30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
Held against Montreal and then beaten at home by NYCFC -- it was not the best week for United in terms of results. The strangeness of the schedule keeps United at the top of the table in the East, but there's a teetering feeling about that status for the Black & Red. This is not a team that can afford for Wayne Rooney and Luciano Acosta to go missing.
7. Toronto FC (4-1-1)
Previous ranking: 9
Next MLS match: Saturday, April 27, vs Portland (3 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
The Reds bounced back from last week's loss in Seattle with a wild win over Minnesota United, but the real drama came after the game. Jozy Altidore's frustration over another hamstring injury prompted an outburst at team president Bill Manning, not a good look for a club that was the model of harmony not that long ago.
8. Columbus Crew (4-1-2)
Previous ranking: 6
Next MLS match: Wednesday, April 24, vs. D.C. United (7.30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
On the whole, the start to life under Caleb Porter hasn't been too bad in Columbus -- the Crew did sit second in the East before the weekend matches, after all. But the struggle to score goals is becoming a real problem for Porter's team. Every team is susceptible to poor finishing, but there doesn't seem to be an obvious fix in Ohio.
9. Philadelphia Union (4-1-3)
Previous ranking: 10
Next MLS match: Saturday, April 27, at Vancouver (5 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
Easy stuff for the Union on Saturday against Montreal. One problem: Andre Blake left the game with a groin injury. That's trouble for Jim Curtin's team: Blake is a former MLS Goalkeeper of the Year for good reason and consistently keeps his teams in games all by himself.
10. Minnesota United (3-1-3)
Previous ranking: 11
Next MLS match: Wednesday, April 24, at LA Galaxy (8 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
The Loons showed energy, fight, grit, passion, joy, skill and any number of other positive traits in a wild loss to Toronto on Friday. That's the good. The bad is that Minnesota's defending is still distressingly bad and both Jan Gregus and Francisco Calvo were sent off late in the match. Neither will be available against LA in midweek.
1:41
Monteiro shines in Union rout of Impact
Jamiro Monteiro was instrumental in his debut for Philadelphia Union, scoring his first goal for the club in a rout of Montreal Impact.
11. Montreal Impact (3-2-3)
Previous ranking: 12
Next MLS match: Wednesday, April 24, at New England (7.30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
The most inconsistent team in the league (and this is MLS, so that's saying A LOT) dropped a 3-0 result on the road in Philadelphia on Saturday. It's tough to know how to judge the Impact while Ignacio Piatti remains missing in action, though the defensive struggles of the club can't be explained away by Piatti's absence.
12. Orlando City (3-2-3)
Previous ranking: 15
Next MLS match: Saturday, April 28, vs. New York City FC (1 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
By no means was the 1-0 win over Vancouver comfortable but the Lions can't really afford to be picky at this point. Orlando out-shot, out-possessed and out-played Vancouver in the win, but it's almost as if the lucky deflection off of Nani from Sacha Kljestan was just desserts for Orlando in a must-win game.
13. Real Salt Lake (3-1-4)
Previous ranking: 17
Next MLS match: Sunday, April 28, at Cincinnati (8 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
RSL executed a statement in a hostile environment in Cincinnati and should feel good about a 3-0 win. That doesn't mean Mike Petke will sit happy back in Utah, especially considering that his side has a different test against the Galaxy coming next weekend. By the way, Albert Rusnak is pretty good.
14. Sporting Kansas City (2-3-2)
Previous ranking: 7
Next MLS match: Saturday, April 27, vs. New England (8.30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
Things got out of hand quickly for Sporting in San Jose. Could it have been different if Krisztian Nemeth had converted a penalty in the 26th minute? Maybe, but Nemeth's shot ended up following the flight path from the planes at nearby San Jose International Airport instead. For now, SKC is what their record says.
15. Chicago Fire (2-3-2)
Previous ranking: 19
Next MLS match: Wednesday, April 24, at New York City FC (7 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
The Fire dropped four on Colorado, and though it was only Colorado, that number is a big step forward. The full influence of Nicolas Gaitan is now evident and the Argentinean is making his presence felt in Bridgeview. The pair of assists Gaitan provided to the Fire effort should be just the first taste of what he can do.
16. New York City FC (1-5-1)
Previous ranking: 18
Next MLS match: Wednesday, April 24, vs. Chicago (7 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
Alexandru Mitrita and Heber are pretty good. Both scored in a big win over DC, a game that changes the feeling in the Eastern Conference thanks to NYCFC's slow start. There are lots of questions in the East, not the least of which is "who's good?" considering the reasonable doubts about a number of teams at the top of the conference.
1:56
Can Thierry Henry revive the New York Red Bulls?
Following his failure in Monaco, the FC guys discuss what Thierry Henry could offer the New York Red Bulls should he be named head coach.
17. New York Red Bulls (1-2-4)
Previous ranking: 13
Next MLS match: Saturday, April 27, vs. Cincinnati (7 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
It's not getting better for the Red Bulls, who are now more than halfway to their total loss total from 2018. This being MLS, nothing is lost, but the clouds over the team are thick and dark. Saturday's performance in New England wasn't just disappointing because of the loss, but because New York never really threatened to score.
18. FC Cincinnati (2-2-4)
Previous ranking: 14
Next MLS match: Saturday, April 27, at New York Red Bulls (7 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
FCC is crashing back to earth after a start that caught most of the league off guard. It would help to have Fanendo Adi in the lineup, but it's hard to escape the feeling that much of that start was more shock and awe than a result of real quality. Is this expansion year already a success?
19. Atlanta United (1-2-3)
Previous ranking: 16
Next MLS match: Saturday, April 27, vs. Colorado (6 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
A lot is made of Arthur Blank's commitment to his soccer team and his willingness to spend money to make that team successful. It's worth wondering now, six games into United's 2019 season, if that willingness to spend money extends to a willingness to pay a buyout on a contract for a head coach when things obviously aren't working.
20. Vancouver Whitecaps (1-2-5)
Previous ranking: 20
Next MLS match: Saturday, April 27, vs. Philadelphia (5 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
Wednesday delivered Marc Dos Santos his first MLS win and Vancouver a reason to be hopeful. Of course the league rewarded the Whitecaps with a trip across the continent and a match against Orlando on short rest. Should we throw out the result in Florida or ding Vancouver for losing a tough game on a tough road trip?
21. New England Revolution (2-1-5)
Previous ranking: 21
Next MLS match: Wednesday, April 24, vs. Montreal (7.30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
The margins are small for the Revs. Whatever progress Brad Friedel's team make, there seems to be a setback around the corner. Saturday's win over the Red Bulls is a big deal, but it's hard to see it as a prelude to a massive step forward for the club. If there's something more coming, Wednesday's match against the Impact might tell the tale.
22. San Jose Earthquakes (2-0-5)
Previous ranking: 22
Next MLS match: Wednesday, April 24, at Seattle (10.30 p.m. ET)
The Quakes are still near the bottom of the standings, but the performances -- and results -- are improving. Saturday's 4-1 win over Sporting was emphatic, encouraging, and potentially worrying for the rest of the West, especially since caoch Matias Almeyda appears to finally have a sense of what his best lineup looks like.
23. Portland Timbers (1-1-5)
Previous ranking: 24
Next MLS match: Saturday, April 27, at Toronto (3 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
Cue the choir singing "Hallelujah." The Timbers got themselves a lead with the first goal off the game -- something they hadn't done yet this season and rode it to a win in Columbus. It serves no purpose for a club as desperate as Portland to look a gift win in the mouth, so we won't either.
24. Colorado Rapids (0-2-6)
Previous ranking: 23
Next MLS match: Saturday, April 27, at Atlanta (6 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)
Colorado's ugly loss in Chicago sets up a very interesting game next week in Atlanta: The winless Rapids versus a desperate Atlanta United team. Who will come out on top in a match between two bad teams? Can the Colorado heap more misery on the miserable Five Stripes? Will Atlanta win a game that will make everyone say "Yeah, but it's the Rapids"?
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Man United must rebuild in footsteps of hated rivals Liverpool
Published in
Soccer
Monday, 22 April 2019 05:33
For Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, Sunday's humiliating 4-0 defeat against Everton at Goodison Park had at least one positive. If every cloud really does have a silver lining, this one offered validation of United's determination to rip it up and start again under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and follow the example set by, of all clubs, their biggest rivals, Liverpool.
You will hear plenty of talk this week about the United-Liverpool rivalry and how the men from Old Trafford have the ability to pave the way for Anfield to host its first title party since 1990 by denying Manchester City a crucial victory in Wednesday's 178th Manchester derby.
- Weekend review: Liverpool and City the gold standard
- Dawson: United's worst day since Fergie retired
But off the pitch, and in the United boardroom, there is admiration for the manner in which Liverpool have rebuilt to become a major force under Jurgen Klopp.
Sources have told ESPN FC that the patience displayed by the Anfield hierarchy during Klopp's early months in charge and the successful recruitment structure put in place by Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool's American owners, have been identified by Woodward and United's Florida-based owners, the Glazer family, as the model to emulate in order to restore United to the summit of the game.
There is an acceptance that Solskjaer -- appointed as permanent manager last month after replacing the sacked Jose Mourinho on a temporary basis in December -- needs time to turn United around. And, as unpalatable as it may be at Old Trafford, there is also a realisation that the 46-year-old is likely to need at least the three years of his contract to make the team competitive again.
While Klopp has made Liverpool title challengers and put the team on course to reach a second successive Champions League final this season, the former Borussia Dortmund coach missed out on European qualification completely in his first season of 2015-16 and has still to win a trophy at Anfield.
But in tandem with the club's transfer committee, led by sporting director Michael Edwards, Klopp has overseen the transformation of Liverpool. Woodward and the Glazers believe the Anfield blueprint -- patience and smart recruitment -- can also work for United.
However, after throwing money at their problems by lavishing £89.3m on Paul Pogba, a potential £90m on Romelu Lukaku and breaking the wage structure to hand Alexis Sanchez a reported £400,000-a-week in the swap deal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan with Arsenal in January 2018, it has not gone unnoticed at United that Liverpool's front three of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino collectively cost less than £100m.
And the likes of Andy Robertson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Xherdan Shaqiri have all contributed positively at Anfield having been signed for relatively small fees from clubs relegated from the Premier League.
But despite the success enjoyed by Liverpool, there can be no quick fix for United. Solskjaer has been tasked with the football equivalent of performing an 180 degree turn in an oil tanker in rough seas -- a challenge Woodward and the Glazers expect to be made easier by the appointment of a technical director before the start of next season.
While the technical director will ultimately report to Woodward, the yet-to-be-appointed figure will be tasked with working alongside Solskjaer and the club's senior scouts to ensure that United are able to identify emerging talent as well as competing at the top end of the market.
United once wrote the scripts, but now they are nothing more than bit-part actors and, after five years of bad appointments, expensive transfer mistakes and questionable strategic planning, a realisation has dawned that the next five years have to be different.
1:27
Is Pogba finished at Manchester United?
Following another lacklustre performance, the FC crew question if Paul Pogba has his sights set on leaving Man United at the end of the season.
To that end, Sunday's woeful performance against Everton has only served to strengthen Solskjaer's hand as manager.
The Norwegian has lost four of the six games since landing the job on a permanent basis, but sources have told ESPN FC that the club's hierarchy were expecting a downturn in results and performances after the 11-game unbeaten run at the outset of Solskjaer's role as interim boss.
Concerns over the fitness of the squad under Mourinho prompted Solskjaer and his coaches to intensify training in December and January. There was an initial, and prolonged, uplift in performances and results, but sources said that the extra work on the training ground is now catching up with several players. Indeed some within Old Trafford have been alarmed by the sharp decline in output displayed by a number of them in recent weeks.
The slump in form has left United now battling to salvage their season with a top four finish, as four wins from their final four games are not guaranteed to be enough to secure Champions League qualification unless other results go their way.
Another campaign in the Europa League will hit United's finances and potentially affect their ability to recruit leading targets, but as Liverpool have shown, being away from the top table can be used as an opportunity to rebuild strategically out of the glare of the spotlight.
The roadmap is laid out for United and Solskjaer. Only time will tell whether they follow it or continue to veer off course.
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