The Atlanta Falcons signed Eddie Goldman in early July to provide depth on the defensive line, but he is stepping away from the game before ever stepping foot on the field with his new team.
Goldman informed the Falcons on Tuesday that he is retiring from the NFL.
The announcement came less than two weeks after the 28-year-old signed a $1.12million, one-year deal with Atlanta on July 6.
A second-round pick by the Chicago Bears in 2015, Goldman spent his entire seven-year career with Chicago, which included opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns.
He returned in 2021, playing in 14 games while totalling 22 tackles.
Over his career, Goldman appeared in 81 games with 73 starts, compiling 175 tackles with 13 sacks and two fumble recoveries.
Goldman had one year remaining on a four-year contract worth $42million before the Bears decided to release him on March 14.
The New Jersey Devils are set to begin with competition for the starting goaltender position when training camp opens in a few months.
Vitek Vanecek agreed on Tuesday to terms on a $10.2million, three-year contract with the Devils, a deal that will give him a salary just slightly less than incumbent starter MacKenzie Blackwood.
New Jersey acquired Vanecek from the Washinton Capitals at the NHL draft to provide some depth after the team used a franchise-record seven goalies last season.
"There's an opportunity for me, you know, to play lots of games, and I'm really happy for it," Vanecek said. “And then I will battle with Mackenzie, you know, and that's, that's what I need."
The 25-year-old Blackwood, who is going into the final year of his contract, made a team-high 24 starts in 2021-22, but also missed nearly three months due to a heel injury.
The 26-year-old Vanecek started 38 games for the Capitals last season, going 20-12-6 with a 2.67 GAA and .908 save percentage.
Blackwood, meanwhile, went 9-10-4 with a 3.39 GAA and .892 save percentage last season after going 46-41-12 with a 2.83 GAA and .911 save percentage in his first three seasons with New Jersey.
"We feel really good about, again for another summer, adding depth to our goaltending and watching Mackenzie and Vitek challenge each other and push each other," Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said at the draft. "You have to have depth. You saw teams in the playoffs lost depth and ended up losing a series."
The Devils missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year last season and have just one playoff appearance since the 2012-13 season.
Anett Kontaveit and Barbora Krejcikova both breezed through at the Hamburg European Open, while Yulia Putintseva eased into the Palermo Ladies Open second round.
Top seed Kontaveit overcame world number 61 Irina Bara in straight sets in her first-round clash and third favourite Krejcikova followed suit in her second-round match against Poland's Magdalena Frech.
Kontaveit will meet Sweden's Rebecca Peterson in the next round as she looks to set up a quarter-final meeting in Germany with eighth seed Andrea Petkovic, who defeated Misaki Doi 6-4 6-3 on Tuesday.
There was no such luck for ninth seed Elena Gabriela Ruse, though, after she lost 6-0 6-4 to last week's Budapest Grand Prix winner Bernarda Pera.
Swiss Joanne Zuger will next be the next challenge for Pera as she aims to reach a quarter-final clash against Katerina Siniakova, who triumphed 6-1 6-1 over Brazil's Laura Pigossi.
Putintseva is ranked as the second favourite in Italy and progressed with ease from her first-round clash against world number 147 Jaimee Fourlis, winning 6-3 6-1.
Seventh seed Anna Bondar had little difficulty beating Clara Burel 6-4 6-4, though Caroline Garcia and Nuria Parrizas Diaz faced more difficult tasks in their respective openers.
France's Garcia, the fifth favourite in Palermo, responded to a first-set scare to defeat compatriot Chloe Paquet, while eighth seed Parrizas Diaz also lost her opening set before downing Asia Muhammad.
Thomas Tuchel suggested Armando Broja will remain a Chelsea player amid transfer speculation, while the Blues head coach still wants a "couple more" arrivals at Stamford Bridge.
West Ham, Everton and Newcastle United are reportedly interested in Broja, who scored six goals in 32 Premier League appearances on loan at Southampton last season.
With Romelu Lukaku loaned back to Inter, the future of Timo Werner somewhat uncertain and Kai Havertz arguably more suited to a deeper role, the 2022-23 campaign could be a breakthrough one for Broja at Chelsea.
While Tuchel's preference seems to remain with Havertz as a false nine, the Blues boss outlined his expectations that Broja will stay with his side for the upcoming campaign.
"I don't expect him to leave," Tuchel told a news conference. "We are aware of interest and offers, which just tells us there is a lot of potential, and the owners and me will take this decision together in the end, also with the player.
"Right now when he arrived, it's clear he's trying to impress and is just trying to become a Chelsea player as soon as possible.
"After his loan at Southampton, the situation was very clear for him to make the next step, to show his improvement and make an impression in pre-season.
"Unfortunately he injured himself and of course there is a lot of noise going on because there are offers and interest in him. Let's see how this goes but I'm pretty calm about it because we know the situation and we have a contract."
Tuchel has already brought in the experienced Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly from Manchester City and Napoli respectively, but lost Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Lukaku.
The Chelsea coach previously stated his top target was Sterling, who scored 17 goals in all competitions for City last season, a tally bettered by only Riyad Mahrez (24) and Kevin De Bruyne (19).
But Tuchel acknowledged he would now like a couple more signings, with Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde among those linked with the Premier League side.
"I have a figure and I think we need a couple more players in to improve the squad," he added. "We were third last season and there was a gap between us, Manchester City and Liverpool.
"In general if you want to fight, even for the same position, you need to improve. You can never stand still because if you stand still then other teams will overtake you.
"Given the situation that we even lost players, it's common sense for me that we need to bring new quality to the team to maintain our level.
"It's always the dream of every manager that you find players in the same league and who can adapt maybe quicker than other players, but it's also a very individual process.
"Of course we see that Raheem knows many players from the national team and he is very familiar with the habits of English clubs so this is very nice to see.
"For Kalidou, it's a big help that we have some French guys, that we have Edou [Mendy] his team-mate in the national team and of course Jorginho who is a big help from Napoli to make this process faster.
"Both of them should be huge players for us and that's why we need to speed things up."
Carlos Alcaraz was made to come from a set down but finally overcame Nicola Kuhn in the first round of the Hamburg European Open.
The highly rated Spanish teenager eventually downed the German wildcard 3-6 6-1 7-6 (7-3).
Kuhn, ranked 259 in the world, was aggressive early on against Alcaraz, and was rewarded with the first set.
But the 19-year-old – playing as top seed in an ATP Tour event for the first time – rallied to ease through the second set, before being made to work much harder to clinch the win on a tie-break.
Alcaraz will now play Filip Krajinovic in the second round after the Serbian also won in a third-set tie-break against Sebastian Baez 6-1 4-6 7-6 (8-6).
Three seeded players crashed out on Tuesday in straight sets, with third favourite Diego Schwartzman losing against Emil Ruusuvuori 7-5 6-4, sixth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili beaten by Aslan Karatsev 6-4 6-0, and eighth seed Holger Rune going down 7-6 (10-8) 7-5 to Tallon Griekspoor.
Fourth seed Pablo Carreno Busta eased through against Luca Nardi 6-2 6-1, while there were also wins for Fabio Fognini, who sealed his 400th career victory, as well as Daniel Elahi Galan, Borna Coric and Francisco Cerundolo.
At the Swiss Open in Gstaad, sixth seed Cristian Garin lost 6-3 6-4 to Yannick Hanfmann and seventh favourite Hugo Gaston fell to Dominic Thiem despite winning the first set, losing 1-6 6-1 7-6 (9-7).
Elsewhere, Frenchman Richard Gasquet beat Roberto Carballes Baena 7-5 6-4, while his compatriot Benoit Paire retired hurt when a set and a break down against Elias Ymer.
A tight game between Swiss pair Dominic Stricker and Marc-Andrea Huesler saw the former prevail 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4, and an all-Spanish affair was similarly close as Jaume Munar defeated Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-3 3-6 7-5.
There were also wins for qualifiers Juan Pablo Varillas and Nicolas Jarry against Lorenzo Sonego and Thiago Monteiro respectively.
Roma's potential acquisition of Paulo Dybala can shift the balance in Serie A and make Jose Mourinho's men Scudetto contenders, according to former Giallorossi boss Fabio Capello.
Having left Juventus as a free agent when his contract expired at the end of June, Dybala was strongly linked to Inter and Napoli, but now appears set to join Mourinho's Europa Conference League winners.
With reports on Monday suggesting Dybala was close to joining Roma, the Argentina international arrived in Portugal, where the side are holding a pre-season training camp, for his medical.
Dybala scored 82 goals in 210 Serie A appearances for the Bianconeri after arriving from Palermo in 2015, including 25 from outside the penalty area, more than any other player has managed during that time in the competition.
Among current Roma players, captain Lorenzo Pellegrini's nine is the highest such tally, and Dybala's imminent move has led to suggestions the Giallorossi could better last season's sixth-placed league finish.
Asked by Il Messaggero whether the Argentine's arrival could shift the balance at the top of Serie A, Capello responded: "I would say yes. He is a great player, one of those who make the difference.
"[He can] raise the level of the team and change something in Serie A, because Roma are now in the group of favourites.
"If Mourinho calls you himself, it becomes really difficult to say no."
Capello led Roma to the most recent of their three Serie A titles in 2000-01, edging out Juventus by just two points in a tense title race.
The legendary tactician believes there are likenesses between Mourinho's side and his Scudetto winners, adding: "The comparison is plausible. I see many similarities.
"I think that Mourinho, as happened to me in that season, will try to guarantee balance in a team with enormous offensive potential.
"Roma, after all, was doomed to attack; we had Cafu and [Vincent] Candela outside. I needed some cover."
Manchester City favourite Pablo Zabaleta believes Pep Guardiola's men have signed the world's best player in Erling Haaland, as he refuted suggestions departing winger Raheem Sterling was a club legend.
Having scored a remarkable 86 goals in 89 appearances during a two-year spell at Borussia Dortmund, Haaland agreed to sign for City in May before officially joining the Premier League champions on July 1.
In his final campaign with the Bundesliga outfit, Haaland scored 29 goals in 30 games in all competitions, putting away 65.8 per cent of his big chances as he became one of world football's hottest properties.
Haaland is part of a City squad embarking on a pre-season tour of the United States, and could make his bow when they face Mexican giants Club America in Texas on Thursday.
Zabaleta, who made 333 appearances for the club between 2008 and 2017, believes City have acquired the world's finest in the Norwegian striker, and hopes his arrival will fire Guardiola's team to a first Champions League title.
"He's a big lad, eh? I saw him and was like, 'wow'," Zabaleta told Sky Sports. "He was one of the main players on the market and a lot of top teams were looking to sign him.
"We're all very pleased to have him at the club, I think he's got that connection already with Man City, because of his dad playing for the club.
"For me, I would say he's the best player in the world.
"He's a world-class player, he's a great signing, the same as Kalvin Phillips. Fernandinho left and the club needed to bring someone in to replace him. He's been really good at Leeds.
"All the players have been doing everything they can to make the club better, domestically they won everything, they have been very successful [and] dominated English football for the last 10 years.
"The Champions League is probably one of those competitions the club is looking for. I'm confident, hopefully they can win it soon."
Haaland's arrival has been facilitated by City allowing versatile attackers Sterling and Gabriel Jesus to leave for Premier League rivals Chelsea and Arsenal respectively.
After joining from Liverpool in 2015, Sterling scored 91 goals and recorded 42 assists in 225 Premier League appearances for City.
Only Sergio Aguero with 184 has scored more goals in the competition for the club, while only David Silva (93), Kevin De Bruyne (85) and Aguero (47) have laid on more goals for team-mates.
Sterling also won four league titles, one FA Cup and five EFL Cups with the club, but Zabaleta does not believe that is enough to put him alongside some of the most illustrious names in City's history, as he accused the England forward of showing a lack of respect for City since departing.
"I think the word 'legend' these days in football is a bit overused sometimes," he added. "I think he's done a great job for the club, he came at a very young age, and he's been absolutely brilliant for the club.
"When I say 'legend', for me, it's Silva, Aguero, [Vincent] Kompany, those guys are on a different level. That's why they have statues outside of the club.
"Raheem, he's been great, so we wish him all the best. He went to a team which obviously is a big contender for the Premier League, I wish him all the best, he's a great lad.
"But Man City is always the most important thing and when you come to this club you have to give 100 per cent respect. The moment that you leave you always have to talk nicely to the club that you've been playing for, so I wish he could behave in that way."
Meanwhile, City announced on Tuesday that Sterling's old number seven shirt will be worn by full-back Joao Cancelo during the 2021-22 season.
The Jamaica Olympic Association issued a statement on Tuesday congratulating the national senior women’s and under-19 men’s teams on their silver medals at the recently concluded Rugby Americas North tournament held at the UWI Mona Bowl.
The women's senior team narrowly missed out on first place losing to USA South 14-17 in the final while the men's under-19 team suffered a 10-56 loss to the same opponents.
“The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) congratulates our member, the Jamaica Rugby Football Union, and its players for historic and silver medal performances in the recently concluded 2022 RAN Senior Women’s 12s and Men’s Under-19 tournament at the University of the West Indies,” said JOA President Christopher Samuda in the statement.
The statement continued: “Rugby in the local Olympic movement is quickly becoming a flagship sport and the JOA will continue to invest in our Reggae Crocs who are demonstrating that the nation's talent is deep and our prowess multi-faceted.”
“The JOA will always invest in giving reality to the ambitions and aspirations of our youth in sport. The sport of rugby is tough and gruelling and our men and women continue to put their health on the line for a nation. The JOA remains extremely grateful to our national players for their valour and salute them for their admirable display of patriotism.”
The Jamaica Lacrosse Association (JLA) continues to create milestones and recently, its national team became the first team to qualify for the 2023 World Championships which will be held in San Diego, California.
In securing this achievement, the Jamaican sport ambassadors scored victories over Columbia 7 - 2 and the US Virgin Islands 5 - 4 and now stand a real chance of topping the table in the competition currently underway in Medellin, Colombia.
In commending JLA President, Calbert Hutchinson and the team, Jamaica Olympic Association President Christopher Samuda stated that "our member association continues to personify merit in sport and is inspiring its players to go beyond the call of duty in the national colors which is the essence of patriotism and a compelling attribute which all sportsmen and women should have."
The sport of Lacrosse locally is quickly gaining ascendancy which mirrors its growing popularity globally and is providing many opportunities for our youth engaged in competitive sport.
"A primary focus of the JOA is to broaden the options in sport for our youth and create as many opportunities for them to excel on the field of play in self-actualising while motivating them to earn a value-based education that will be their pension after sport. Lacrosse is raising the bar impressively and is taking ownership and passing the shuttle and not the buck'" Secretary General/CEO, Ryan Foster said.
The sport was contested at the Summer Olympics Games in 1904 and 1908 and played as an exhibition sport in 1928, 1932 and 1948 and the JOA supports the growing advocacy to have the sport make a long-awaited re-appearance in 2028 in Los Angeles.
"The calls for the sport's rebirth in Los Angeles are resonating and fittingly so after being absent for almost a century. If the echoes of history don't compel it, then the voices of the present will" President Samuda said.
The Jamaica Basketball Showcase scheduled for July 28-30 at the University of Technology in Kingston will see the game back on Jamaican courts for the first time in two years.
Six teams, comprising the best of the island’s network with invitees from the USA and the Bahamas will battle for the trophy and cash prizes. The teams taking part are Caribbean Basketball Academy, Phase 1, Chesta Warriors, Hummingbird, Lignum Vitae and Blue Mahoe.
The showcase will be hosted by the Sports Innovators Group (SIG) whose CEO Paul Campbell said at the media launch at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Tuesday that “this is an exciting time for us and we are elated to be among the first to have basketball back on court since the pandemic.”
“The Jamaica Basketball Showcase focuses on our talent. Helping to identify, project and create the footage that is so important for our youngsters so when the scouts and coaches overseas require footage, we can easily provide it to them,” Campbell added.
President of the Jamaica Basketball Association Paulton Gordon said “we want to have these activities right across the island in a setting that is looking good and can be captured on camera and showcased. Steps are being taken. Let’s all, as a family, come together and improve basketball in this country.”
Some of the players taking part in the showcase are national representative and Pennwood High School stand-out Anthony Whyte, Caribbean Basketball Academy student and 2019 MVP from Camperdown, Matthew McGowan and outstanding Ardenne High School player DeAndre Forbes.
“It feels good to be able to get back on the court and hopefully this will ignite basketball in the country,” said Forbes.
The showcase is sponsored by companies including Courts Ready Cash, Express Fitness, KFC, Mailpac Group, Grace Kennedy (Western Union) and A. Peart Advisory Services.
The tournament tips off on Thursday, July 28 at 10:00am.
Danny van de Beek defended Manchester United captain Harry Maguire after he was booed during a friendly against Crystal Palace, praising the England defender's "aggressive" display.
Maguire was loudly jeered before kick-off and each time he touched the ball throughout the first half at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where a crowd of 76,499 otherwise raucously backed the Red Devils.
The club skipper came in for strong criticism as United limped to sixth in the Premier League last term, conceding more league goals (57) than they had done in a single season since 1978-79 (63).
Maguire was left out of the United side after receiving a bomb threat in April, and was booed by England fans prior to a friendly against Ivory Coast in March.
The defender reacted well to the jeers in Australia, producing a strong defensive display and going close to scoring with a powerful 20-yard drive in the first half, leaving team-mate Van de Beek keen to highlight his impressive performance.
"I heard [the boos] as well," the midfielder told Sky Sports after the win.
"I didn't know really what happened. But I think if I saw the game today, Harry was playing really well.
"He was aggressive, he got so many balls, so that means he has a big personality.
"He has a lot of experience, so I think that's positive what he [showed], his performance today."
Goals from Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho ensured United maintained their 100 per cent winning record in their first pre-season under Erik ten Hag despite youngster Will Fish's late red card, with Van de Beek providing a sumptuous assist for Rashford's strike.
United's next pre-season outing sees them face Aston Villa in Perth on Saturday.
Liverpool centre-back Ben Davies has joined Rangers for a reported £4million fee, including add-ons.
Davies was brought in from amid an injury crisis in January 2021, when Liverpool were missing Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Fabinho, who himself is more at home in defensive midfield.
After failing to make a Premier League appearance for Jurgen Klopp's side, Davies spent the 2021-22 season on loan at Championship side Sheffield United, playing 22 league games.
The 26-year-old ended an 18-month spell at Anfield on Tuesday, signing for Europa League finalists Rangers on a four-year deal.
"Rangers is a fantastic club, a big club. Ben belongs on a big stage for sure. European football as well," Klopp told Liverpool's website after the move was completed.
"This presents a proper opportunity to demonstrate his quality and composure. As a person he's as good a guy as you could hope to meet.
"It's a smart piece of recruitment from Giovanni van Bronckhorst, to be honest. Perfect for all parties. He has himself an accomplished defender, who is entering his peak years and whose character is top drawer."
Davies is expected to be the replacement in defence for Calvin Bassey, who is reportedly being targeted by Eredivisie champions Ajax and Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion.
Erik ten Hag wished his former Ajax striker Sebastien Haller well after Borussia Dortmund's new signing was forced to leave the club's pre-season training camp due to a testicular tumour.
Haller enjoyed a stellar season under Ten Hag's management of the Eredivisie giants in 2021-22, scoring 21 league goals and netting 11 times in eight Champions League games to earn a move to Bundesliga giants Dortmund.
But Haller stepped away from his new club's pre-season training camp in Switzerland on Monday after feeling unwell during a session, with subsequent tests revealing the tumour.
The Ivory Coast international told social media followers he was focused on his recovery on Tuesday as Dortmund pledged to offer an update on his condition when possible.
Haller began a fruitful relationship with Ten Hag when the Dutchman became Utrecht coach in 2015, the striker plundering 30 goals across two seasons under him before the duo were reunited at Ajax in 2020.
Speaking after his Manchester United side posted a 3-1 pre-season win over Crystal Palace, Ten Hag sent a message of support to Haller.
"It's horrible," he told MUTV. "I have a fantastic relationship with him.
"He's my friend, he was my striker for several years with Utrecht and Ajax, and when you hear such news it's devastating.
"My thoughts are with him, with his family, and I hope he will recover quickly."
Meanwhile, Haller's current coach Edin Terzic described the situation as "brutally difficult" as he joined Ten Hag in sending his best wishes to the striker.
"Of course, we were shocked to hear the news yesterday," Terzic told Dortmund's media channels. "I personally heard it about half an hour before we were preparing to leave for the game [a 3-1 friendly loss to Valencia].
"It was not easy for all of us to find the switch, we tried to do it as professionally as possible, but then we didn't talk about it with the team before the game, but informed the team after the game.
"Now I ask you to understand that it is brutally difficult for us. The diagnosis is still pending.
"Sebastien left us last night, went to Germany today for further examinations, and we are keeping our fingers crossed for Sebastien and his whole family that he will get well as soon as possible.
"First of all, it is about the human being Sebastien Haller getting well again.
"As for the sportive issues that come with this loss, we haven't thought about those yet because we are still awaiting the diagnosis. We don't even know yet how long he will be out."
England pace bowler Mark Wood will undergo a second operation on an elbow injury as he bids to recover in time for the T20 World Cup later this year.
Wood underwent surgery on his right elbow in March after sustaining the injury during the first Test of the red-ball side's tour of the West Indies.
It was originally hoped the 32-year-old would return within three months, but he was taken out of consideration for Durham's Vitality Blast game against Notts Outlaws on July 1 before suffering an adverse reaction after featuring for home club Ashington on Saturday.
Speaking to the BBC's Test Match Special, Wood expressed his frustration at the injury, which comes as another blow to England with Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes, Saqib Mahmood, Ollie Robinson and Matt Fisher also sidelined.
"It's not going well actually," Wood said. "I'm off again for probably more surgery on Saturday.
"I played a club game to see what it was like when I tested it out, so unfortunately it's not pulled up well.
"To be ready for the World Cup, I'm going to have to get that done.
"I've been bowling for the last two or three weeks in the nets, top speed also off my full run-up. But it just seems to keep deteriorating.
"When I played that club game it was an indication in a match of how does it actually feel. The next day… I can straighten my left arm fully, but my right arm is still sort of bent a little bit.
"It's crunch week this week. That's why I've been building it up so much. But this week it needed a decision, so that's why I played the club cricket.
"Unfortunately it hasn't been good. The frustration for me is I've done everything everyone has asked. It's just not giving me a break."
Wood has taken 26 wickets in 19 T20I outings since making his England debut in 2015, with his last appearance in the format coming against New Zealand last November in their T20 World Cup semi-final defeat.
England's next T20 World Cup campaign begins against Afghanistan on October 22 in Perth.
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