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Coca-Cola Amatil signals up to $190 million of non-cash impairments

Coca-Cola Amatil has flagged impairments of up to $190 million in its June half results, and warned that volumes dropped about 23 per cent in the June quarter.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Business https://ift.tt/2CCemE0
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FOX NEWS:- DC agencies will 'look into' Trump going maskless in lobby of his hotel

DC agencies will 'look into' Trump going maskless in lobby of his hotel

The city of Washington, D.C., is investigating President Trump’s maskless appearance in the lobby of Trump International Hotel Monday, a direct violation of D.C. coronavirus mandates.

via FOX NEWS https://foxnews.com/politics/dc-agencies-look-into-trump-going-maskless-hotel-lobby

FOX NEWS:- AOC posts 'Boss B---h' video after Yoho confrontation

AOC posts 'Boss B---h' video after Yoho confrontation

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Tuesday posted a video of herself walking outside the Capitol Building to Doja Cat’s “Boss B---h,” a day after a heated exchange with Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., that ended with him allegedly calling her a “f---ing b---h.”

via FOX NEWS https://foxnews.com/politics/aoc-posts-boss-video-yoho-confrontation

FOX NEWS:- House passes bill that would repeal Trump's travel bans

House passes bill that would repeal Trump's travel bans

"I couldn't help but celebrate," Rep. Tlaib tweeted

via FOX NEWS https://foxnews.com/politics/house-repeal-trumps-muslim-travel-bans

FOX NEWS:- Former Chicago police superintendent calls out political sniping amid unrest

Former Chicago police superintendent calls out political sniping amid unrest

Former Chicago police superintendent Garry McCarthy addresses city's rise in violent crime.

via FOX NEWS http://video.foxnews.com/v/6174158371001

FOX NEWS:- President Trump 'comfortable' with sending his son, grandchildren to school during COVID pandemic

President Trump 'comfortable' with sending his son, grandchildren to school during COVID pandemic

Trump says he would like to see America's schools reopen safely and carefully.

via FOX NEWS http://video.foxnews.com/v/6174157730001

FOX NEWS:- Trump said he is comfortable sending his son, grandchildren back to school

Trump said he is comfortable sending his son, grandchildren back to school

President Trump, pushing for schools across the country to reopen in the fall, said during a coronavirus briefing he would be comfortable sending his son and grandchildren back to school in the fall.

via FOX NEWS https://foxnews.com/politics/trump-comfortable-sending-son-grandchildren-back-to-school

FOX NEWS:- Trump blasts Chicago's Lightfoot, says mayor making 'big mistake' not asking for federal help

Trump blasts Chicago's Lightfoot, says mayor making 'big mistake' not asking for federal help

President Trump doubled down on his criticism of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday – berating the Democratic mayor for the spike in violent crime in her city and threatening to send in more federal agents to combat the spoke in violence.

via FOX NEWS https://foxnews.com/politics/trump-blasts-chicagos-lightfoot-mayor-big-mistake

FOX NEWS:- President Trump addresses Sun Belt spike in COVID cases, defends sending federal forces to cities

President Trump addresses Sun Belt spike in COVID cases, defends sending federal forces to cities

Trump says he wants to support and honor police, while the radical left wants to defund, defame and abolish them; chief White House correspondent John Roberts reports.

via FOX NEWS http://video.foxnews.com/v/6174150671001

FOX NEWS:- Trump says spike in COVID cases likely caused by protests, increased travel, holiday gatherings, other factors

Trump says spike in COVID cases likely caused by protests, increased travel, holiday gatherings, other factors

President Trump holds coronavirus briefing from the White House.

via FOX NEWS http://video.foxnews.com/v/6174149069001

New on Sports Illustrated: Why the Dodgers Went All-In on Mookie Betts

Mookie Betts is clearly a generational talent. But L.A. has had previous opportunities to open its checkbook, so why now?

Before the Dodgers traded for Mookie Betts, their analytics staff and pro personnel department conducted a study to gauge the aging curve of such small outfielders with power. Betts is listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds. His career slugging percentage is .519. They found nobody like him, not unless you count Mel Ott, who debuted 94 years ago and needed to hit baseballs just 259 feet to clear the Polo Grounds wall in the right field corner.

Upon trading for Betts from Boston, and watching him first in spring training and lately in summer camp, the Dodgers came to a similar conclusion about Betts that the statistical study yielded: there is nobody like Markus Lynn Betts, the outlier with the MLB initials and now the 12-year, $365 million extension. It blows away the previous record money given to a player less than six feet tall: $214 million to Prince Fielder.

Watching Betts each day, the Dodgers discovered he was an even better player and person than they knew. The test drive sold them before they left the lot. The Dodgers knew before Opening Day they could not let him get away.

“He’s everything you want,” said one Dodgers executive. “First of all, he’s a great athlete and a gifted hitter. Watching him day to day you appreciate what he can do. He has an extraordinary ability to track pitches and square them up and he makes incredibly quick yes/no decisions on swings. He is an excellent defender with the ability over time to play four different positions and play them well.

“He works hard, studies the game, helps young hitters, comes with a positive attitude every day … he’s been a joy to have around in every way. He’s just so impressive.”

Betts and the addition of the DH to the National League could make Los Angeles one of the most destructive offensive teams since the 1999 Indians. The irony to the Betts extension is that the Dodgers initially intended to drop such a ridiculous sum of money on pitching.

For six years under Andrew Friedman the club has trimmed its payroll, built the minor league system and avoided huge future payments. The Dodgers rank in the middle of the pack among teams in future payroll commitments. Friedman had never signed a player for more than $100 million. It was not that Friedman was averse to the big-ticket item. He was waiting for the right one.

The first choice was Gerrit Cole, a free agent last winter. But the Dodgers could not overcome Cole’s desire to pitch for the New York Yankees, his favorite team as a child and the team that once drafted him. So Los Angeles pivoted to Plan B, as in Betts.

Motivated by reducing their payroll under the luxury tax threshold, and wary that they could not re-sign Betts if he reached free agency, the Red Sox put him on the trade market. The Dodgers pounced. With Betts positioned as a rental piece–$27 million for one year–the price was low, with Alex Verdugo, a decent outfielder, as the main piece. The trade looks even better today.

The contract, signed in the middle of a pandemic amid reduced revenues, proved nothing about the upcoming free agent market–other than the reminder that baseball’s Hollywood star system remains in place. The true stars get paid. Mid-level players, especially those past 30, should still be very worried.

“This isn’t about the [upcoming] free agent market,” said one club executive. “You would have to believe that the market is going to be slowing down over the next year or so, like a lot of businesses.”

Betts is an amazing success story, the kid from Tennessee who was an all-state bowler and was overlooked as a high school player because of his size and because he didn’t venture deeply into the showcase circuit. One day in the spring of 2011 a Red Sox scout pulled Betts out of his lunch period at Overton High in Nashville to take a baseball-specific acuity test on a laptop that then Boston general manager Theo Epstein had discovered through a Cambridge, Mass., tech firm. The program measured how quickly a hitter could make determinations about a pitch–its speed, spin and location. It was a high-tech program to measure a hitter’s decision-making skills. Should I swing or not? And when do you make that call? Epstein had tried it on his major league players in spring training, so he had a baseline of how quickly and well big leaguers processed information embedded in a pitch. When Betts took the test his results astounded Epstein. As a high school senior, Betts scored at a level equal to David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and the very best Red Sox hitters.

Betts remained so far off the showcase grid–and at 5-foot-9 he didn’t fit the mold scouts prefer–that Epstein was able to wait until the fifth round to select him. Betts went number 172 in the draft. It’s the Boston baseball equivalent of the Patriots drafting Tom Brady in the sixth round at 199. Now Betts is in Los Angeles and Brady is in Tampa Bay. The difference is the Dodgers own the prime years of Betts.

People often make the mistake of judging long-term deals by the back end of contracts. Teams do not hand them out thinking players will be impact players into their late 30s and beyond (i.e., Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto, Robinson Canó, etc.). It is amortizing the prime years. It is bookkeeping with an eye on the competitive balance tax.

What kind of player will Mookie Betts be at 39? How will a 5-foot-9, 180-pound slugger age over the wear of 12 seasons? That involves much guesswork. It is less important than what the Dodgers know for certain today, especially after being around him: Mookie Betts is one of the five best players in the game and a definitive franchise cornerstone. This is true, too: his prime years will be played with the Los Angeles Dodgers surrounded by a deep core of young talent.

July 23, 2020 at 05:36AM
Why the Dodgers Went All-In on Mookie Betts

New on Sports Illustrated: 2020 Breakout Player of the Year: Must-Own Future First-Rounder

"Packed with power, speed and playmaking ability," is how SI Fantasy expert Shawn Childs describes this year's breakout player of the year.

This is an article from our Fantasy Football Breakout Player series. If you're a FullTime Fantasy subscriber, you can read this premium article here.

Unlock premium access to the full outlook by subscribing to FullTime Fantasy where we will help you dominate with our Draft Kit, customized rankings, expert consensus rankings, Preseason Pro, Advanced ADP, Premium forums to ask our experts unlimited questions 24/7 & more. Check us out! Click here to subscribe now using promo code TD30 for 30% off your first two months!

In the game of fantasy football, a breakout player can come from all areas in the draft. The goal is to find the player or players that create massive edges in fantasy points.

In 2017, Todd Gurley drafted consistently in the second round in the high-stakes. In the previous season, he struggled to make plays while scoring 200.2 fantasy points in PPR leagues. Gurley finished as the top-scoring skill player (RB, WR, or TE) in 2017. He finished with 387.30 fantasy points with electric value in Week 15 (180 combined with four TDs and three catches) and Week 16 (276 combined yards with two TDs and ten catches). Every overall championship in 2017 had Todd Gurley on the roster.

The real breakout player in 2017 was Alvin Kamara. In the live drafts in Las Vegas, most sharp drafters took him in the ninth round in PPR leagues. Kamara ended up as third-highest scoring running back in PPR leagues (321.40 fantasy points) while finishing about 65 points behind Todd Gurley in scoring.

Many teams that season owned Gurley and Kamara, which created a decisive edge. That edge is where you win.

After three and a half months of football research, here is my 2020 breakout player of the year:

A.J. Brown, Titans WR

In 2018, I identified Brown as an overlooked player in the fantasy market. Here’s my preseason outlook for him last year when he was entering the league as a rookie:

Brown can’t match the speed of the top wide receivers in the 2019 draft class, but his game looks the most NFL ready. His movements with the ball in his hands seem to be uncanny, creating yards after the catch, which is somewhat surprising for his size (6’0” and 226 lbs.). He has the wheels to have success in the NFL (4.49 40 yards dash). His route running is advanced, helping his value at the goal line and the deep passing game.

Over the last two seasons at Ole Miss, he caught 160 passes for 2,572 yards and 17 TDs highlighted by his junior year (85/1320//6). He played with D.K. Metcalf in college.

Fantasy owners have been searching for the next impact 100-catch WR to replace the loss of Brandon Marshall, Andre Johnson, or Calvin Johnson. Brown fits the WR1 mold in his rookie season, but he landed on a team with a weak passing game. I’m excited about his upside, but I have to temper my expectations based on the WR structure and the expected passing opportunity in Tennessee. I’ll start his initial prediction with about 50 catches for 750 yards and a handful of TDs. If he hits the ground running, Brown will make the players around him better. He finished his rookie season with 52 catches for 1,051 yards and eight TDs on 84 targets.

To check out the full write-up, projections, and where our High Stakes guru suggests to take his 2020 breakout player of the year compared to his ADP, subscribe now using promo code TD30 for 30% off your first two months!

July 23, 2020 at 04:59AM
2020 Breakout Player of the Year: Must-Own Future First-Rounder

New on Sports Illustrated: Timbers-Los Angeles FC Preview

Squad rotation may be the order of the day Thursday night when the Portland Timbers and Los Angeles FC - already through to the knockout round of the MLS Is Back tournament, wrap up group play in Orlando.

The Timbers (3-1-0) need only a draw to guarantee a first-place finish in Group F after wins over Los Angeles and Houston. LAFC would claim group honors with a victory and have a virtually unassailable goal difference over the Dynamo for second.

Diego Valeri helped power Portland to a 2-1 victory over Houston on Saturday, with his goal just after the hour providing a two-goal cushion. The Argentine midfielder has recorded a goal or an assist in all four of Portland's matches, and his next goal will put him in exclusive company in MLS history - he would join Landon Donovan and Jaime Moreno as the only players with 80 goals and 80 assists in regular-season play.

"We had a lot more clarity today, we generated a lot of chances," Valeri told the team's official website via translator. "We played a good role with and without the ball, and we have improved a lot. The first goal, Jebo's [Jeremy Ebobisse], gave us ease and then even without the ball we tried to control. The second goal gave us even more time and better pacing."

With little at stake, Timbers manager Giovanni Savarese could opt to bring Valeri and Jeremy Ebobisse off the bench for this contest. Savarese, though, sounded like a coach who wanted the maximum nine points from group play, telling the Oregonian, "I can guarantee you that the Portland Timbers are going to go for the three points," Savarese said. "We want a win. We don't want a tie."

One area for Portland to improve on is late-match defensive situations. Both goals they have conceded in Orlando have come in the 85th minute or later, though the one the Galaxy scored came with Portland down a man.

That defense will be challenged, even with Los Angeles FC missing the services of reigning league MVP Carlos Vela. LAFC (2-0-2) are coming off a wild 6-2 derby victory over the Galaxy on Sunday, riding a four-goal performance by Diego Rossi, who twice erased deficits in the first half.

Bradley Wright-Phillips, signed to help ease the sting of Vela's absence, scored the go-ahead goal in the second half, and Francisco Ginella assisted on a pair of second-half goals. Rossi and Wright-Phillips have accounted for seven of Los Angeles FC's nine goals in Orlando.

"I'm happy with my game. But I'm just as happy about the result," Rossi told the Los Angeles Times. "We'd like to continue like this."

"He's in excellent form. He worked very hard in the period we couldn't train and you could see that when we returned," LAFC coach Bob Bradley said of Rossi to The Associated Press. "You can see his maturity grow and his finishing gets better."

The reigning Supporters Shield holders have totaled 12 goals in their last three matches, but they also have shipped eight in that span. LAFC have not recorded a clean sheet since opening the season with a 1-0 victory over Inter Miami CF.

LAFC swept last year's two regular-season contests, with Vela factoring in four of the seven goals with two goals and two assists. Rossi scored in the second meeting, a 3-2 win in Portland, along with Vela and Latif Blessing.

The Timbers did gain a measure of revenge with a 1-0 victory at Banc of California in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals as Ebobisse scored on 84 minutes.

July 23, 2020 at 04:57AM
Timbers-Los Angeles FC Preview

New on Sports Illustrated: 'It's Time for Substantive Reform': Senators Demand More From Mark Emmert, NCAA in Hearing

At a hearing on Wednesday, U.S. senators told Mark Emmert they want the NCAA to go beyond athlete compensation in its modernization of rules.

U.S. senators want the NCAA to go beyond athlete compensation in its modernization of rules.

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, lawmakers demanded the NCAA develop full-scale reform for college athletics, even requesting president Mark Emmert present Congress with a more broad set of modifications to the organization’s archaic policies. More than any senator, Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) scolded Emmert and the NCAA for not enforcing proper health-and-safety standards and for not seeing that athletes are graduating, even using his own time as a tight end at Stanford to lambast the NCAA leader.

“The time has come for substantive reforms,” Booker told Emmert, appearing at the hearing virtually. “The NCAA has failed generations of young men and women even when it comes to the most basic responsibility: keeping the athletes under their charge safe and healthy.”

The third Senate hearing on the raging debate over athlete compensation resulted in little news and a lot of fireworks, as two Democratic lawmakers, Booker and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), chastised Emmert for, mainly, the NCAA’s lack of universal and long-term healthcare for athletes. This has been building for months. The NCAA first requested help from Congress on an NIL bill in December, seeking a federal uniform standard that will preempt differing state NIL laws. The request has triggered interest from lawmakers in other NCAA matters. They’ve unearthed concerns, now using the NCAA’s NIL request to strike more reform.

The senators’ questions revealed the NCAA president’s stances on some hot-button issues. Emmert acknowledged that he supports what’s called a “scholarship for life,” where athletes may later return to get their degrees. He also denounced COVID-19 waivers that some schools are requiring athletes to sign before they return to campus, calling them “inappropriate,” and he made clear his support for a proposal that allows athletes to transfer once without losing a year of eligibility.

The two-hour hearing brought into the athlete compensation realm a new player: the Senate Judiciary Committee and its chairman, Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina). The previous two NIL hearings were hosted by the Senate Commerce Committee, where the chairman expects an NIL bill to move through later this year. The Judiciary Committee dipped its toes only slightly into the NIL waters. Its real concern seems to be for something grander—full-scale NCAA reform.

Graham says the committee is starting a working group to craft a basic rights package for college athletes, with a deadline of Sept. 15. The group appears to be led by Blumenthal and Booker, who have already partnered on a bill that prevents colleges from requiring COVID-19 waivers. Booker and Blumenthal, also part of the Commerce Committee, are working with a handful of other lawmakers in creating NIL legislation, too. But they want more.

“This pandemic has highlighted the need to enact health and safety protections,” Blumenthal says. “Schools are rushing to bring athletes back to campus. We are watching a slow-motion potential catastrophe.”

The hearing wasn’t without lighter moments. Graham, in fact, was the author of several comments that to college football enthusiasts seem laughable. Rule-breaking in both college football and men’s basketball is somewhat common knowledge to even the most casual college sports fan. In his opening remarks, Graham noted his concerns in an NIL bill resulting in recruiting inducements. “We don’t want a bidding war for recruits,” he said. Later, he said an NIL bill could potentially “unleash holy hell on young college athletes if you don't have some way to control people willing to buy a player to come to a school.”

At another point during the hearing while speaking about coaches’ salaries, Graham said, “Very few coaches get paid a lot of money that lose over time,” a statement disproven by dozens of fired coaches and their million-dollar buyouts.

In more serious matters, both Booker and Blumenthal attacked the NCAA Power 5’s NIL proposal for being too restrictive. Sports Illustrated obtained a copy of a summary of the legislation, which includes a host of restrictions: athletes cannot sign endorsement deals until they complete their first semester of college; athletes can be barred by their schools from entering into certain NIL ventures; and all NIL contracts with businesses and agents must be made public.

Lawmakers took exception specifically to schools having the authority to prohibit certain types of endorsement deals. The NCAA's own proposal is similar to the Power 5’s plan, says Booker. “The proposal is so restrictive that it would prevent college athletes from receiving any endorsement deals from any organization that doesn’t have an existing or prospective contract with their institution or with any of their competitors,” he said. “The NCAA proposal isn’t only similarly restrictive but it actually sunsets after 10 years, effectively blocking individual states from making progress on NIL only to put us back here in another 10 years.”

At one point, Blumenthal suggested that Emmert and the NCAA are “running out of time” and to “up your game.” He asked Emmert to present lawmakers with a broader plan for reform outside of NIL. “Broaden the lens,” he told Emmert.

The more intense moments came between Emmert and Booker. The 51-year-old New Jersey lawmaker released six years of frustration from his committee room pulpit, glaring down at a live video feed of Emmert. Booker and Emmert last spoke six years ago at another Senate committee hearing.

“You just made a comment that you have spoken to me. You have not spoken to me in six years since we’ve (last) been here,” Booker said. “You and I have mutual friends. They say very good things about you as a person and as a leader. I’m opening an invitation to you right now to meet with a group of bi-partisian senators so we can start to talk through about what are your plans to address these things that are patently unacceptable and put our student athletes in danger.”

July 23, 2020 at 04:54AM
'It's Time for Substantive Reform': Senators Demand More From Mark Emmert, NCAA in Hearing

'There was nowhere': Perth mum faced with the hardest decision urges mental health change

Warning: Distressing Content. A Perth mother has vowed to fight for change after her daughter, who has a long history with mental health issues, jumped out in front of a car just moments after seeking help.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
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Some shoppers refuse to wear masks as Melbourne adjusts to new must-have attire

There was mixed reaction to mandatory masks at a supermarket in inner-Melbourne on Thursday morning as some shoppers refused to cover their faces.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
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Australian government criticised for shutting down parliament

Concerned about lack of government accountability as Parliament shuts down - again? Well, that's because of COVID-19. And also, Daniel Andrews, natural

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U.S. laboratories buckling under pressure from coronavirus testing

Laboratories across the U.S. are buckling under a surge of coronavirus tests, creating long processing delays that experts say are actually undercutting the pandemic response.

With the U.S. t

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Protesters Block Entrance to Israel's Parliament Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Dozens of demonstrators locked themselves together to barricade Israel's parliament on Wednesday morning to protest an upcoming vote to grant the government expanded authority to bypass the Knesset

from Latest Breaking News RSS feed – Big News Network
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Tablet interactive: Coronavirus outbreak

Follow news and events as they happen.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
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'There was nowhere': Perth mum faced with the hardest decision urges mental health change

Coca-Cola Amatil signals up to $190 million of non-cash impairments

Some shoppers refuse to wear masks as Melbourne adjusts to new must-have attire

There was mixed reaction to mandatory masks at a supermarket in inner-Melbourne on Thursday morning as some shoppers refused to cover their faces.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
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FOX NEWS:- Pelosi: GOP's $1 trillion coronavirus aid package doesn't go far enough

Pelosi: GOP's $1 trillion coronavirus aid package doesn't go far enough

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday said the $1 trillion coronavirus relief package being considered by GOP Senate lawmakers this week does not go far enough in remedying the economic impact of the virus.

via FOX NEWS https://foxnews.com/politics/pelosi-gops-1-trillion-coronavirus-aid-package-doesnt-go-far-enough

FOX NEWS:- Trump campaign on president's decision to relaunch coronavirus briefings

Trump campaign on president's decision to relaunch coronavirus briefings

President Trump felt it was important to update the American people on results his whole of government COVID strategy is producing, says Trump 2020 campaign senior adviser Mercedes Schlapp.

via FOX NEWS http://video.foxnews.com/v/6173806964001

FOX NEWS:- Pompeo suggests global coalition against China for 'exploiting' coronavirus

Pompeo suggests global coalition against China for 'exploiting' coronavirus

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that he hopes to build an international coalition to counter recent Chinese actions ranging from the global coronavirus to the country's involvement in the South China Sea.

via FOX NEWS https://foxnews.com/politics/pompeo-global-coalition-against-china-exploiting-coronavirus

FOX NEWS:- Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf rejects Joe Biden's criticism of federal law enforcement response in Portland

Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf rejects Joe Biden's criticism of federal law enforcement response in Portland

When peaceful protests cross the line into violence we have to take a stand, says acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf.

via FOX NEWS http://video.foxnews.com/v/6173796791001

FOX NEWS:- Trump campaign mocks Biden for vowing ‘shovel ready’ jobs: ‘Where have we heard this before?’

Trump campaign mocks Biden for vowing ‘shovel ready’ jobs: ‘Where have we heard this before?’

President Trump’s re-election campaign is taking aim at Democratic challenger Joe Biden over his touting of “shovel ready jobs” by resurfacing conservative criticism of the Obama administration's famous stimulus.

via FOX NEWS https://foxnews.com/politics/trump-campaign-mocks-biden-for-shovel-ready-jobs

New on Sports Illustrated: Dynamo-Galaxy Preview

Chicharito will not be available once again to help the Los Angeles Galaxy try for their first win of the season amid a disappointing MLS is Back Tournament.

The Galaxy conclude Group F play against another winless squad, the Houston Dynamo, on Thursday night near Orlando, Fla.

A calf strain kept the Mexican star out of Los Angeles' massively disappointing 6-2 loss to rival Los Angeles FC over the weekend. And, now the team is reporting he will miss this contest and the rest of the tournament if the Galaxy (0-3-1) are somehow able to advance into the knockout round.

Chicharito has just one goal through his first three games with the Galaxy, who have arguably been the biggest early disappointment within MLS. It has not helped that star midfielder Jonathan dos Santos was also not fit to participate in this tournament.

After falling 2-1 to Portland in their tournament opener, the Galaxy were thoroughly embarrassed by LAFC. Those results leave Los Angeles at the bottom of the group, essentially needing a miracle to somehow advance to the knockout round.

The overall effort against LAFC seemed to prove disturbing for Los Angeles coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto, in terms of effort. The Galaxy last went their first five games of the season without a win in 2009.

"I think that defensive situation happened because the team gave up the battle and the fight," Barros Schelotto told the Galaxy's official website. "We can't do that. We have to play for 90 (minutes) and try to play when we have the ball and when we don't have the ball try to get it.

"We can't give up before time and that's what happened and that's what generated a heap of spaces in our defense."

If there's a point of potential positivity for Los Angeles, it's that Houston (0-2-2) has managed just five goals this season. One of those came during a 1-1 season-opening draw against the Galaxy on Feb. 29.

Christian Pavon scored in the 13th minute for Los Angeles, while Mauro Manotas equalized for the Dynamo in the 54th minute.

Houston has one point in the tournament, and though it holds an outside chance of moving on to the knockout round, it's much better than that of the Galaxy. Of course, the Dynamo need to win. They have not gone their first five games without a victory since 2008.

Houston opened the event with a wild 3-3 draw against LAFC and followed with a 2-1 loss to Portland over the weekend. Alberth Elis (two goals) was responsible for Houston's lone tally in that game.

"Every game is a must win," Dynamo coach Tab Ramos said.

"We have one point…We're playing for something."

Elis has scored both of his goals this season in the tournament, but he did pick up a red card against Portland after receiving his second yellow card of the match.

July 22, 2020 at 02:00AM
Dynamo-Galaxy Preview

New on Sports Illustrated: Whitecaps FC-Fire Preview

Perhaps a matchup with the short-handed Vancouver Whitecaps is just what the Chicago Fire need to advance into the knockout round of the MLS is Back Tournament near Orlando, Fla.

The Fire eye a victory to make that happen while concluding Group D play against the Whitecaps on Thursday morning at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

Currently third in the group with three points, Chicago (1-2-1) can move up to second - ahead of Seattle (four points in the group) - with a victory in this contest. The Fire opened this World Cup-style tournament with a 2-1 win over the Sounders, then lost 2-0 against San Jose on Sunday to leave themselves with destiny in their own hands.

"It's important to keep your head up," said Fire manager Raphael Wicky, whose side also has an avenue to possibly advance with a draw against the Whitecaps.

"We're going to stand up again…We're going to be ready in the next game."

If there's one reason for Chicago to feel good about its chances of advancement in the tournament, it's the fact that Vancouver is playing without some of its key contributors. Fredy Montero, Tosaint Ricketts and Andy Rose are not taking part in the event for the Whitecaps (1-3-0), who also will be minus starting goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau after he broke his thumb in Sunday's 3-0 loss against Seattle.

The return to play has been rather difficult for Vancouver, which split its first two games of the season against the Los Angeles Galaxy and Sporting Kansas City, but have conceded seven goals during the two losses in this tournament. While the Whitecaps were competitive in blowing a rather late lead during a 3-2 loss to San Jose, they truly showed their lack of depth against the Sounders.

That essentially leaves Vancouver playing for pride and shifting its focus to when the league continues its regular season.

"Defensively, right now we are making mistakes," Whitecaps manager Marc Dos Santos said. "We need to really sort out our backline. Of course, talking about guys that are missing is not important right now.

"But we feel it."

Vancouver and Chicago played to a 1-1 draw in their lone 2019 meeting. Yordy Reyna scored in that match for the Whitecaps, but he has yet to find the back of the net this season.

Chicago newcomer and former Ligue I performer Robert Beric has scored a team-high two goals in 2020.

July 22, 2020 at 01:55AM
Whitecaps FC-Fire Preview

New on Sports Illustrated: West Ham United-Manchester United Preview

With little time to wallow following their FA Cup semifinal loss, Manchester United look to put themselves in the catbird seat for fourth in the table Wednesday when they host West Ham United at Old Trafford.

The Mancunians picked an inopportune time to have an absolute clunker of a performance, losing 3-1 to Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. Keeper David De Gea should have done better on Chelsea's first two goals, with the second one conceded early in the second half bordering on being a howler.

But that indifferent play spread throughout Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side, with talisman and centre back Harry Maguire responsible for Chelsea's third via an own goal. By the time Bruno Fernandes pulled one back from the spot on 85 minutes, Manchester United's 19-match unbeaten run (14-5-0) in all competitions was already gone, as was their chance at a 13th FA Cup trophy.

"You want to win everything and we're very disappointed in the dressing room, but we need to be better in these big games when it matters," Solskjaer said post-match. "We know that, we'll have to take that into account, learn again and get ready for the next big ones. We've got two in five days coming up."

The first of those two is this vital contest, which could give Manchester United (17-11-8) the critical inside track to the fourth and final Champions League spot ahead of the team they are jockeying with for that berth - Leicester City. The Red Devils enter this match level with the Foxes on points and goal difference with one fewer match played and four fewer goals scored, and the teams conclude the season Sunday against each other in the Midlands.

"Every three days we play, so we have to analyse this game for sure. But all our focus needs to be on West Ham on Wednesday," midfielder Nemanja Matic told the Manchester Evening News. "Our target is to be top four and we'll do our best. We always want to win but this is football. Sometimes you don't play well and this can happen, but in the future we cannot allow to concede three goals and I'm sure we'll learn from this."

Solskjaer will have to make some key decisions regarding his backline, with centre back Eric Bailly the primary concern after taking a blow to the head Sunday that forced him off in the first half. Left back Luke Shaw is questionable after missing the loss to Chelsea with an ankle injury, but Maguire should be good to go despite a cut above his eye suffered in the collision with Bailly.

Though unlikely given his scintillating form, Solskjaer could give thought to resting Fernandes ahead of Sunday's showdown with Leicester City. The Portugal international, though, has been a relentlessly positive force for United with nine goals and eight assists in 18 matches in all competitions since arriving in January.

There was a time when Manchester United supporters thought former boss and current West Ham gaffer David Moyes would also be such a positive force as the successor to Sir Alex Ferguson, but that turned out to be anything but the case. This is the fourth time Moyes is facing United since being sacked in April 2014, losing twice with Sunderland in 2016-17 and playing them to a scoreless draw in his first go-round with West Ham in 2017-18.

The Irons (10-7-19) are all but mathematically assured of survival, entering this contest six points better than both Aston Villa and Bournemouth - the top two teams in the drop - and with a better goal difference. West Ham need only one point from either of their final two matches, with the other being at home versus Villa on Sunday, to ensure their top-flight safety.

Moyes' side put themselves in that position by taking care of business. West Ham followed up a 4-0 pasting of last-place Norwich City with a 3-1 victory over Watford on Friday, scoring all three goals in the first 36 minutes.

Michail Antonio followed up his four-goal effort versus the Canaries with West Ham's first, and after Tomas Soucek headed home on 10 minutes to double the lead, Declan Rice let fly with a long-range effort that helped the Irons improve to 3-1-1 in their last five league matches.

"They were three great goals, they really were: Michy getting another goal, showing his ability to play up there and the threat that he's become," Moyes raved to the team's official website. "I think the cross from Jarrod [Bowen] and the header by Tomas [Soucek] was a bit like the old days - a great ball in and it looked like that old-fashioned centre forward play, David Cross-type!

"Declan has got some ability to shoot - with great power, he's a really clean striker of the ball. Partly because we've got him in a role where he recovers the ball and wins the ball back for us so much, we just don't get to see him in that [forward] role as much. Tonight he got a goal, so he's beginning to get a bit further up the pitch for us, and let's hope he can get in there and show his ability near the opposition goal."

Moyes has had few rave reviews at the Theatre of Dreams regardless of which coaching box he's occupied, entering this match 0-3-9 at Old Trafford as an opposing manager. Prior to his tenure at Manchester United, he was 0-3-8 with Everton from 2002-13.

West Ham, though, are seeking their first double over Manchester United since 2006-07, having won 2-0 in September under Manuel Pellegrini on goals by Andriy Yarmolenko and Aaron Cresswell. The Irons are 2-3-21 at Old Trafford in all competitions in the Premier League era and winless in 14 (0-3-11) since Carlos Tevez - in his lone season at West Ham before joining Manchester United - supplied the difference in a 1-0 victory in May 2007.

July 22, 2020 at 01:51AM
West Ham United-Manchester United Preview

New on Sports Illustrated: Chelsea-Liverpool Preview

There will not be any fans present to mark the occasion, but the Premier League trophy will finally be at Anfield on Wednesday, when champions Liverpool will celebrate their title following their top-four showdown versus Chelsea.

A 30-year league title drought ended last month when Liverpool (30-3-3) stormed their way to the top of the table early and never relinquished that spot. The Reds have been spotty at times during Project Restart - forgivable considering they were champions-elect before COVID-19 shut down the world in March - and that form has cost them a shot at joining the 2017-18 Manchester City side as the only centurions in English football.

Still, there are may other things to celebrate, including some of the ghosts that will be binned when captain Jordan Henderson lifts the trophy after the final whistle. The clip of talisman Stevie Gerrard slipping in a pivotal match against Chelsea six years ago will be forgotten. A series of non-descript finishes - Liverpool have never finished worse than eighth in the Premier League era - will also slip into the ether.

"The boys worked so hard for it and everybody in this club worked so hard for it, so in the stadium it should be as good as anyhow possible," manager Jurgen Klopp told Liverpool's official website. "I will not disturb that, for sure not. I will be in best spirits. On a professional basis, it's 100 per cent one of the greatest days of my life, 100 per cent, to finally get our hands on this trophy, [which] everybody was waiting so long for.

"I think two or three years ago, nobody thought it would be possible for us, especially with all the challenges we faced and the challenges we have and the competitors we have. I will be proud, I think, of the boys and all what we did together in this club."

And the bitterness of finishing one point behind City in an epic title race - one Jurgen Klopp's side closed by winning their final nine matches and going unbeaten in 17 after their 2-1 loss to Manchester City in January 2019, can finally be released in catharsis. They will walk alone as champions while knowing they will truly never walk alone in Merseyside.

"The supporters, of course, are a huge factor. Without them this club isn't what it is," Henderson said for the pre-match programme notes for this contest. "Speak to anyone in the world about Liverpool Football Club and the conversation always comes back to the passion and emotion around the club - and that's entirely down to our fans. This is an emotional club and we shouldn't shy away from that fact. It brings pressures, yes, but it means everything we do together means more - in good times and bad.

"It's gutting for all of us that our fans are not with us in person, but we can still make this one of the most enjoyable shared experiences we've ever had if we want it to be."

This match will also serve as Henderson's last platform to sway Footballer of the Year voters, with the talisman's primary competition coming from City's Kevin De Bruyne. The two present a sharp contrast in terms of style of play, but both massively imprint their clubs on-field personas and make notable off-pitch contributions individually.

Chelsea (19-6-11), though, have plenty of motivation to throw a spanner in the celebrations while helping their own ends. The third-place Pensioners can secure Champions League play for next season with a victory as they enter this contest one point better than Leicester City - over whom they have a match in hand - and Manchester United - who also play Wednesday.

"We have to say it was the number one goal at the start of the season because it's the competition that's right in front of you at the start and the competition that you have to produce the most consistency in, which generally means the top teams come to the top," Chelsea boss Frank Lampard said about Champions League qualifying at his Tuesday press conference during which he also confirmed Chelsea will provide Liverpool the customary pre-match guard of honour as champions.

"It's a gauge of where you are as a club and it's about the prestige of wanting to stay in the Champions League. We've done it a lot over the last 10 or 15 years at Chelsea. This year was probably the most testing time to try and be in there so if we do, I'll be happy."

The Blues advanced to the FA Cup final on Sunday with a deserved 3-1 victory over United, setting up a London derby versus Arsenal on Aug. 1 at Wembley. Olivier Giroud scored deep into first-half stoppage time, and Mason Mount scored almost immediately after the restart. Chelsea added a third via own goal, making the late penalty conceded meaningless.

Lampard did have some injury concerns for this match as two-way midfielder N'Golo Kante is unavailable. There is, though, plenty of familiarity between the team as this will be the fourth meeting this season. The first was a Liverpool victory on penalties in the UEFA Super Cup in Istanbul last August, then a Liverpool victory at Stamford Bridge in September.

Chelsea gained a measure of revenge right before the league shut down for more than three months, eliminating the champions from the FA Cup with a 2-0 victory in the fifth round on goals by Willian and Ross Barkley.

"We have played them three times this season and we have definitely been competitive with them, and when you watch something like the trophy lift, it gives you that extra motivation going into next season," Mount said. "I am a winner so I don't like watching other people win, especially other teams. You want to win with your own team so it is definitely hard to watch someone else win but they have been brilliant this season and worthy winners."

Liverpool, who had a Premier League-record, 24-match home winning streak snapped with a 1-1 draw versus Burnley on July 11, are unbeaten in their last 58 in league play at Anfield (47-11-0) since a 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace in April 2017. The Reds are seeking their first league double over Chelsea since 2011-12.

July 22, 2020 at 01:48AM
Chelsea-Liverpool Preview

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