NCAA champions Nickisha Pryce and Ackelia Smith have signed professional contracts with global sportswear giant Puma. This news was confirmed by their representative, Henry Rolle, to Sportsmax.TV, marking the beginning of a new chapter for these outstanding athletes.
Pryce, who has had an extraordinary season, set a new national record of 48.89 seconds at the NCAA National Division I Championships in Oregon, representing the University of Arkansas in early June. This stunning performance shattered Lorraine Fenton's two-decade-old national record of 49.30 seconds and made Pryce the first Jamaican woman to dip below 49 seconds in the 400m.
Pryce, who turned 23 last March, continued her dominance by securing her second national title at the Jamaica National Championships last weekend, clocking in at 50.01 seconds. She is now gearing up for her next big challenge at the Diamond League meeting in London on July 20.
Smith, 22, also had an impressive showing at the NCAA National Division I Championships in Oregon, where she represented the University of Texas at Austin. Smith achieved a rare feat by completing a long jump/triple jump double. She then carried this momentum into the Jamaica National Championships, winning the long jump with a leap of 6.53m and finishing second in the triple jump with a distance of 14.44m, just behind six-time national champion Shanieka Ricketts, who jumped 14.53m.
Both athletes have shown exceptional promise and consistency, making them valuable additions to Puma's roster of elite athletes. As they transition into their professional careers, the support and resources provided by Puma will be crucial in helping them reach new heights and achieve their goals on the global stage.
Portland Timbers head coach Phil Neville insists he and his players are keeping their feet on the ground ahead of travelling to FC Dallas this Friday.
The Timbers extended their unbeaten run to seven matches in the MLS following their 3-2 victory over Minnesota United at Providence Park last time out.
Neville's side are now fifth in the Western Conference table but are among a cluster of teams tightly packed in the middle of the division.
However, the Portland head coach said that despite his side's recent form, they have achieved nothing but is confident his side will continue to push up the standings.
"We are keeping our feet on the ground, I think that is massively important," Neville said.
"If we hadn't scored that last minute goal, we would probably have been down in eighth or ninth. There are a number of teams jostling for positions in the league, so there is a long way to go.
"We've got now four games before the Leagues Cup. We have a mini points target that we have set ourselves.
"We want to keep pushing, we know the teams below us are pushing. We have to keep concentrating on ourselves. We are now in fifth, but we have achieved nothing.
"At this moment in time, fifth is not competing. Competing is being up at the top of the league. We are on the climb, we have momentum, we have confidence, we have belief but there is still a long way to go."
For Dallas, they suffered back-to-back league defeats in a narrow defeat to Cincinnati last time out, courtesy of Luca Orellano's second half strike.
The result leaves Peter Luccin's side in 11th place in the Western Conference table, a point ahead of St. Louis City and seven behind Austin FC.
However, the Toros will be hopeful of continuing their impressive home record against their opponents at the Toyota Stadium and build momentum ahead of their important league meeting with Kansas City three days later.
pic.twitter.com/ySE1b0WqfU
— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) June 30, 2024
PLAYERS TO WATCH
FC Dallas – Petar Musa
Petar Musa has been in fine goal-scoring form since his arrival from Benfica in February, notching 11 goal involvements from 19 games for Dallas.
The Toros’ top scorer has four goals in his last three league games, including a hat-trick against Minnesota United, and will be confident of taking his tally into double figures.
Portland Timbers – Evander
Evander grabbed a goal and an assist in the Timbers’ win over Minnesota on Saturday, his seventh match this season with multiple goal contributions.
In doing so, the Brazilian equalled Diego Valeri (2013, 2017) for the most such games in a single regular season by a Timbers player in MLS.
MATCH PREDICTION: FC DALLAS WIN
Dallas will be looking for an immediate return to winning ways following their defeat to FC Cincinnati last time out. The loss was just their third in their last 22 home matches in all competitions (W10 D9) dating back to the start of the Leagues Cup last July. It was also only the second time in that span that Dallas failed to score in a home match.
Luccin’s side hold a favourable record against their opponents and have lost just one of their previous 11 encounters against Portland at the Toyota Stadium (W6 D4), dating back to 2015.
However, the visitors will come into the fixture with confidence following their comeback win over Minnesota. They came from two goals down to win 3-2, having also come back to win the previous time they trailed by two goals (vs. San Jose in May). Prior to these two comebacks, Portland had a record of W1 D11 L100 when trailing by multiple goals in an MLS match.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
FC Dallas – 44.2%
Draw – 26.8%
Portland Timbers – 28.9%
St. Louis City will play their first MLS game without Bradley Carnell after the head coach was dismissed ahead of Thursday's meeting with San Jose Earthquakes.
Carnell's departure was confirmed this week after failing to triumph since mid-May, slipping down to 12th in the Western Conference standings after a nine-game winless run.
St. Louis were guided to a first-place finish in the West last season, their maiden campaign in MLS, yet they are preparing for a new era with technical director John Hackworth in interim charge.
"Given Bradley's many contributions to the club, this was not an easy decision,” said City's sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel.
"Unfortunately, based on our results to date, we believe a coaching change is in the best interest of the club as we regroup and look to improve, both our performance and our results."
Hackworth has almost 30 years of coaching experience, including positions within the United States men's national team and MLS rivals Philadelphia Union.
His first task will be downing an out-of-form San Jose, who sit at the bottom of the West standings with just three wins to their name all year.
The Earthquakes are also without a manager after Luchi Gonzalez's dismissal, falling to a 3-0 defeat against LA Galaxy in their first match since his dismissal.
Gonzalez's assistant coach Ian Russell took interim charge for that home humbling, and will be desperate to turn things around as San Jose remain in search of a new full-time boss.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
St. Louis City – Njabulo Blom
Njabulo Blom's seventh-minute goal on Saturday was St. Louis' 10th from outside the box in regular-season play in MLS, with Blom the ninth different player to record one of those strikes.
Blom may fancy his likelihood of adding another long-range strike in this outing, considering the Earthquakes defence is far from convincing.
San Jose Earthquakes – Hernan Lopez
Hernan Lopez has contributed to a goal in each of his first four MLS road games (two goals, two assists), with the midfielder hoping to extend that impressive run here.
However, only two players have recorded a goal contribution in each of their first five MLS road games: Cucho Hernandez (six straight in 2022) and Romain Alessandrini (also six in a row in 2017).
MATCH PREDICTION – ST. LOUIS CITY WIN
The hosts are the heavily backed favourites for victory in this encounter, despite their woeful run of form of late.
St. Louis are winless in their last nine matches, losing six of those. Prior to this run, they had only lost as many games in 27 league matches dating back to June 2023.
Yet, the home side will fancy their chances of arresting that streak given St. Louis beat San Jose twice last season, winning 3-0 and 2-1.
The Earthquakes' form is poor, too, having lost 15 of their first 20 matches this season. Only Tampa Bay Mutiny in 2001 suffered more such losses in the post shoot-out era since 2000.
Only four teams have collected fewer points than San Jose's 11 this year at this stage of a campaign, most recently D.C. United (10) in 2013, and that drab spell could extend here.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
St. Louis City win – 52%
Draw – 24.5%
San Jose Earthquakes win – 23.5%
Despite not being at peak fitness, Janieve Russell was determined to secure a place on Jamaica’s team to the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, and so the 400m hurdler knew she had to demonstrate resilience and tenacity to achieve the feat.
In fact, Russell’s second-place performance at the JAAA National Senior Championships this past weekend was a testament to her unyielding spirit, as she soared above her injury concerns with precision and speed, crossing the finish line in 53.33s –a time that marked her fastest ever run at the National Stadium. Rushell Clayton won in a brisk 52.51s, with Shiann Salmon (53.71s) in third.
Having had her season fraught with challenges and injuries, raising doubts about her ability to compete at her usual high standards, Russell believes her performance dispelled any doubts about her readiness to compete on the world stage.
“I am a very strong-willed person, so I came in determined to punch my ticket to Paris and I did that so I am really grateful. I have a good support team in terms of family and friends and of course, I have to give God thanks because my faith has been carrying me through,” a jubilant Russell said after catching her breath.
“This is also a confidence booster for me because it is the fastest I’ve ever ran in Jamaica and the other competitors can say the same. So this was the first phase, make the team to Paris, now, it's all about staying healthy and continuing to train hard so I can be healthy enough to challenge for a medal at the Olympics,” she added.
With a focused mindset and an unwavering determination, Russell, a multiple Commonwealth Games gold medallist and World Championships relay silver medallist, has shown that once healthy, she is a force to be reckoned with.
The 30-year-old's performance is particularly inspiring given the high level of competition she faced at the National Championships, and her ability to push through physical pain and still deliver a top-notch performance is a testament to her mental strength and athletic prowess.
“It feels really great to know that I am now on my way to Paris, I'm already considering myself a three-time Olympian, which is really a wonderful feeling. So, I just have to give God thanks because trust me, my journey has been a rocky one, I am not 100% in terms of fitness, so I basically came out here with guts and faith to achieve this objective,” Russell, who was a part of the bronze medal-winning 4x400m relay team at the 2020 Tokyo Games, declared.
“So it is very satisfying because the injury that I have is a really serious that I competed with. I have a crack bone in my heel, so to come out here and to run against a fine field of ladies, I'm really, really happy because I was lined up with medalists at World Championship, medalists at Commonwealth, NACAC, finalists at World Championships, so again, it's really good feeling knowing I’m on my way to another Olympic Games,” she noted.
As she looks ahead to the Paris Olympics, where she is expected to also face the likes of Dutchwoman Femke Bol and American World record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Russell is more motivated than ever. Her recent performance has reinforced her belief in her capabilities and her potential to possibly stand on the Olympic podium.
“The goal and expectation is just to remain healthy and as long as I am healthy and fit then I know I can vie for a medal for Jamaica in Paris. This performance has shown me that I'm on the right track, and I just need to keep pushing forward,” Russell ended.
One of the key components of building a successful career in any sport is a proper diet and good nutrition.
Malta and the Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) during their recent event, "Kickin' Cuisine to Fuel Your Game," a cooking programme held at The Summit in Kingston on Saturday, June 29, made their attempt to impart this wisdom on some of the country’s young footballers.
As part of the Malta Sparks campaign, this initiative is geared towards the development of tactical, nutritional, holistic, and psychological skills of U-17 footballers from the prominent teams including Arnett Gardens, Waterhouse, Portmore United, and Harbour View under the Professional Football Jamaica Limited League's Elite Development programme.
The event highlighted Neville Bell as Malta’s new Brand Ambassador, offered sports nutrition tips from Rohan Francis, and featured interactive Malta Shake and Go as well as a meal preparation segment by Chef Asia Thomas.
The day ended with a lively dance-off and trivia competition for exciting Malta prizes.
Minnesota United head coach Eric Ramsay wants his team to "grind through" their tough period as they aim to bounce back against Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday.
The Loons are winless in five and have lost each of their last four matches, conceding a stoppage-time winner against Portland Timbers last time out to extend that run.
They have dropped to seventh in the Western Conference, and Ramsay is confident he will get the reaction he needs from his players.
"We've got to take the best from [the defeat] and really try and grind through what is an immensely difficult period for us and come out of the other side well," he said.
"We've got to move forward in as constructive and pragmatic a way that we can. That is the only attitude that can be adopted at the moment. To look at it any other way is ridiculous.
"Ultimately, we have to approach Wednesday's game with a level of enthusiasm. There's no other way to look at it."
Meanwhile, Vancouver can leapfrog Minnesota if they get a road win on Wednesday to build on their impressive 4-3 victory over St. Louis City last time out.
The Whitecaps had to come from behind to earn the victory, and head coach Vanni Sartini praised the character his team showed.
"It was being conscious that we're a good team," Sartini said. "We were always calm and collected.
"Those three points were really important with our two games in hand, and we have to play two very important away games. We have to win both, and we want results in both, but the standings don't look bad."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Minnesota United – Bongokuhle Hlongwane
Bongokuhle Hlongwane recorded a goal and an assist in Minnesota's defeat to Portland on Saturday, his fourth regular-season match with a goal and an assist for the Loons, tied with Robin Lod, Darwin Quintero and Emanuel Reynoso for the most in club history.
Vancouver Whitecaps – Brian White
Brian White scored his second hat-trick for the Whitecaps in their 4-3 win over St. Louis City on Saturday, the first player in team history with multiple hat-tricks.
Only one other player, Cristian Techera in 2018, has scored a regular-season hat-trick for the Whitecaps in the last decade.
MATCH PREDICTION: MINNESOTA UNITED WIN
Minnesota are unbeaten in six all-time home matches against Vancouver (W3 D3), though the Whitecaps managed a draw in their last visit to St. Paul, 1-1 in March 2023.
Minnesota have lost four consecutive regular-season matches for the fourth time and the first since the first four matches of the 2021 season. The Loons have never lost five consecutive regular season matches.
Meanwhile, the Whitecaps overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat St. Louis City, 4-3, on Saturday, the fourth time Vancouver won a match in which they trailed by multiple goals and the first at home since June 2013 against New England.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Minnesota United – 45.7%
Draw – 26.8%
Vancouver Whitecaps – 27.5%
Ben Olsen will be hoping Houston Dynamo can take another step in the "right direction" when they visit Real Salt Lake for Thursday's MLS meeting.
The Dynamo recorded a narrow 1-0 win over Charlotte FC in their last outing, with this the chance to find a third straight victory and continue their resurgent form.
El Naranja sit sixth in the Western Conference standings, one point adrift of the top four, yet head coach Olsen still wants improvements from his Houston roster.
"It's a step in the right direction, we've got a week to recover – Salt Lake away that is never going to be easy," Olsen said after the Charlotte win, looking ahead to RSL.
"And then LAFC comes [to us at home], so it was important to get the last three points.
"The clean sheet is the biggest storyline for us at the minute."
RSL will be the hosts at America First Field, aiming to respond to a surprise 1-0 defeat against LA Galaxy last time out.
Gabriel Pec's second-half finish was enough for a 1-0 win for the Galaxy in that meeting, downing Pablo Mastroeni's men, who dropped down to third in the West table.
Having suffered their first defeat in seven home outings, Mastroeni will be desperate for improvements and close the gap on the two-top duo – the Galaxy and Los Angeles FC.
Carlos Andres Gomez will miss this one through suspension after accumulating five yellow cards this season, while Houston's Franco Escobar will be out for the same reason.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Real Salt Lake – Cristian Arango
Cristian Arango has scored just one goal in five career MLS matches against Houston (including playoffs), averaging 0.30 goals per 90 minutes.
The only opponent he has faced three or more times with a lower scoring rate is Vancouver (no goals in six games), can Arango end that spell against Houston here?
Houston Dynamo – Ibrahim Aliyu
Ibrahim Aliyu scored in the fifth minute against Charlotte on Saturday, and the Dynamo man will hope to race out the blocks once more in Salt Lake.
It was the second-earliest goal Houston has ever scored in a 1-0 win in MLS play with only Stuart Holden doing so earlier, netting in the fourth minute of a 1-0 win over Chicago in 2009.
MATCH PREDICTION – REAL SALT LAKE WIN
Real Salt Lake saw their 15-match undefeated streak ended last time out but still appear the narrow favourites for this clash.
However, the Charlotte defeat left RSL with just two wins from their last six matches, while Houston are on their own impressive unbeaten run.
The Dynamo are undefeated in six outings, only producing just one longer unbeaten run within a single regular season over the last decade – a seven-match streak from July to September last season.
Houston also did not lose any of their six meetings with RSL last season (W3 D3), though those three wins are the Dynamo's only successes in this fixture since 2017.
RSL will be desperate to find a form of yesteryear and restore their imperious head-to-head record this time around.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Real Salt Lake win – 51.2%
Draw – 24.8%
Houston Dynamo win – 24%
Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin is looking to find solutions to the small-margin failures when they travel to Chicago Fire in MLS.
The Union have not won any of their last seven matches in the league and are hoping to snap a four-game losing streak.
Their recent poor run has seen them drop to 12th in the Eastern Conference, and they are four points off a playoff place, but Curtin admits they have not been doing the little things right in recent weeks.
"The small margins are real and when things aren't going well you get exposed," he said. "It's a very fine line.
"The way things are going right now, it's never enough. We haven't been able to defend well as a team. Strange goals have gone in, and we've let ourselves down.
"It hurts. We have to find a way to turn things more in our favour. We've come up short in that area and, as coach, I take responsibility."
Chicago have now slumped to two consecutive defeats after a four-match unbeaten run and sit bottom of the table.
A home win could move them back up the table, and head coach Frank Klopas is using his full squad as he aims to get back to winning ways.
"We have three games in one week, we have to rotate some of our guys," Klopas said. "Those who missed out [against Seattle Sounders], there was nothing in there.
"We want to keep our players fresh so we can get the best results."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chicago Fire – Maren Haile-Selassie
Maren Haile-Selassie has scored in each of his last three matches. He is the second Fire player with such a streak this season (Hugo Cuypers – four straight).
Only Luka Stojanovic (three straight in 2021) had found the net in three straight games for the Fire over the previous three seasons (2021-23).
Philadelphia Union – Andrew Rick
Dominik Yankov scored CF Montreal's winner in the 89th minute against the Union on Saturday, the fourth time this season the Union have allowed a match-winning goal at 89' or later, tied with San Jose Earthquakes for the most such goals conceded this season.
Andrew Rick will be determined to avoid doing the same again in Chicago as Philadelphia aim to get back to winning ways.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Chicago have lost only two of their last 12 home matches against the Union (W6 D4) dating back to the start of the 2014 season. The Fire have more home wins over the Union (six) than they have against any other opponent since 2014.
The Fire conceded twice from the penalty spot in their loss to Seattle on Saturday, the fourth time since the start of last season that they have allowed two goals from the spot in a match. Chicago had conceded multiple penalty goals in a match three times in the club’s first 25 MLS seasons.
Meanwhile, the Union have equaled the longest single-season regular-season losing streak in club history at four (fourth time). Philadelphia have won one of their last 14 matches (D5 L8) dating back to mid-April.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chicago Fire – 35.5%
Draw – 26%
Philadelphia Union – 38.5%
New England Revolution head coach Caleb Porter has challenged his team to bounce back from their heavy defeat last time out when they host Atlanta United on Wednesday.
The Revs' four-match unbeaten streak in MLS was ended by a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Columbus Crew at the weekend.
Their recent run has lifted them off the foot of the Eastern Conference and kept them in the hunt for what looked to be an unlikely playoff place.
Porter is confident his team can quickly put the weekend's disappointment behind them.
"You can't lose to teams that are in around you and give them points," Porter said. "They are in the hunt with us for the playoffs, so it's really important we bounce back.
"We still have confidence. We know we're a good team, and it has to be the next game. This next game against Atlanta is vitally important for us to get three points. We are really hungry to make the playoffs. It was not a great start to the year, and we're really looking to fix that.
"I reminded the guys that we won four in a row. We're playing really well, and we can't forget about that. But we do need to use this last game as a little bit of a wake-up call and to continue to remind ourselves that we have to keep improving."
Meanwhile, Atlanta are on a five-game unbeaten streak of their own after a 2-1 win over Toronto FC.
They sit five places and five points above New England, and they will be aiming to extend their run to keep the pressure on the teams above them.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New England Revolution – Emmanuel Boateng
Emmanuel Boateng scored his second goal of the season in New England's defeat to Columbus Crew on Saturday.
He has now scored two goals in each of his four seasons with the Revs, with seven of the eight total goals being scored at home.
Atlanta United – Jamal Thiare
Jamal Thiare's winning goal in the 97th minute for Atlanta on Saturday was the sixth match-winning goal scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time or later this season in MLS, equaling the total from all of last season.
MATCH PREDICTION: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION WIN
New England's six-match unbeaten run against Atlanta ended with a 4-1 road loss on March 9. The Revs have won three straight home matches against Atlanta after not winning any of the first three meetings in Foxborough (D2 L1).
However, New England's four-match winning streak ended with a 5-1 home defeat to the Crew on Saturday. It was the first time the Revs allowed five goals in a home match since a 5-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes in August 2001.
Atlanta are unbeaten in five straight away matches in all competitions (W2 D3), the second-longest road unbeaten run in club history behind only a seven-match streak in March-June 2018.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
New England Revolution – 42.3%
Draw – 26.7%
Atlanta United – 31.3%
Laurent Courtois knows CF Montreal must improve defensively if they are to find any kind of consistency ahead of Wednesday's MLS visit to New York City.
Montreal sit 10th in the Eastern Conference, two points outside the wild-card playoff spots, after snapping a four-match winless run last time out.
They twice came from behind to beat the Philadelphia Union 4-2, and while Courtois was not pleased with their defensive display, he believes their attack can take them far.
"There are a lot of aspects on the ball and defensively where we need to grow, but that's the beauty of this group," said Courtois.
"The idea was not to play central too early and create those angles from width first, but that's something we were not able to do in the first half.
"We talked about how we wanted to change the direction of the match at half-time, so we made the necessary adjustments and were clinical. There is definitely some relief."
NYCFC also won a six-goal thriller last weekend, beating Orlando City 4-2 to maintain their pressure on the top four sides in the East.
Much like Courtois, head coach Nick Cushing is delighted to see his team taking the game to opponents but wants them to cut out the mistakes at the back.
"My initial thoughts are I don't know whether to laugh or cry," Cushing said. "MLS is super difficult, you're never out of a game. Comebacks happen in our league, crazy results happen.
"We'll look at that and find the areas where we need to develop. The positive things for us were, number one, the first half was one of the best we've played this season.
"Then number two, we closed it out. It shows the mentality of the team is to attack and not suffer and absorb pressure."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New York City – Santiago Rodriguez
Rodriguez has totalled 15 goal contributions in his first 20 matches this season (eight goals, seven assists).
He is the sixth player in team history to reach that mark 20 or fewer appearances into a season, joining David Villa, Frank Lampard, Maximiliano Moralez, Heber and Valentín Castellanos.
CF Montreal – Bryce Duke
Duke scored just his second goal in MLS this season last time out, getting Montreal's second equaliser as they fought back to beat Philadelphia.
He has been his team's chief creator this term, his 29 chances created putting him 10 clear of his closest team-mate (Ruan with 10).
MATCH PREDICTION: NEW YORK CITY WIN
New York have lost just two of their 19 all-time meetings with Montreal (12 wins, five draws, including playoffs) including winning five of the last six meetings.
They could be set for more joy here, having won six of their last eight matches on home turf (two defeats). Only Los Angeles FC (seven) have won more home games in MLS since the start of April.
Montreal, meanwhile, have won just three of their last 17 regular-season games. They enter this match as outsiders.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
New York City – 54.9%
CF Montreal – 21.9%
Draw – 23.2%
Pat Noonan believes it was important for FC Cincinnati's confidence to keep a clean sheet at FC Dallas last time out, saying fans must trust the process ahead of their midweek trip to D.C United.
Cincinnati claimed their sixth straight road victory last time out by a 1-0 scoreline, returning to winning ways following a 2-1 defeat at home to the New England Revolution.
The Supporters' Shield holders are just two points behind this year's pacesetters Inter Miami despite their squad going through something of an overhaul in pre-season.
While Noonan is pleased with his team's defensive resilience, he also feels there is much more to come.
"We've lost a couple of key pieces and we're trying to find our best group each game. We're still trying to find answers," Noonan said.
"No question it was important for the confidence of the group… but also not weathering the storm for 90 minutes and just conceding chance after chance, that wasn't the case.
"It's going to be a game-by-game process.
"I hate to say the word process, but with a particular group of players trying to get better and understand the relationships and the roles, we have to figure out a way to continue to be strong with what we have."
D.C., meanwhile, are 13th in the East after going nine games without a win, though they did avoid a fourth straight loss by drawing 2-2 with the New York Red Bulls on Saturday.
Asked how he felt after that game, coach Troy Lesesne said: "No mixed emotions. I'm incredibly proud of the group, they showed the kind of character and integrity that we want to have under challenging circumstances.
"They fought, and I think that is exactly what is necessary for us to get ourselves into a better position in the table.
"There's a long way to go in 2024 and we're going to keep fighting."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
D.C. United – Pedro Santos
Santos scored D.C. United's second goal in their 2-2 draw with the Red Bulls from a direct free-kick.
It was just the second direct free-kick goal for the club in the last five years, with Yordy Reyna scoring the other one against Atlanta United in August 2021.
FC Cincinnati – Luca Orellano
Orellano netted his fifth goal of the season last time out as Cincinnati got back to winning ways in Dallas.
Only Luciano Acosta (nine) and Yuya Kubo (seven) have more in MLS for the team this year.
MATCH PREDICTION: FC CINCINNATI WIN
D.C. United are winless in nine straight matches, drawing three and losing six. They last had a longer winless run in regular-season play in 2013 and 2014, a 15-match span that included 12 games without a win to end the 2013 campaign.
Cincinnati are excellent travellers and enter this match as big favourites.
They are the third team in the post-shootout era (since 2000) to win six straight on the road in regular-season MLS play, and could tie the record of seven with another victory here, set by CF Montreal from July to October 2022.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
D.C. United – 22.4%
FC Cincinnati – 55.5%
Draw – 22.1%
JAAA Vice President Ian Forbes has expressed his disappointment after the Jamaica 4x400m relay team failed to achieve the qualifying mark for the Olympic Games in Paris. The setback came after the top three finishers in the 400m at the National Championships and the 400m hurdles champion pulled out at the last minute. The replacements ran a time of 2:59.87, once again falling short of the required time, much to the frustration of fans who had anticipated an easy qualification.
Deandre Watkins, Sean Bailey, and Jevaughn Powell, who ran impressive times of 44.48, 44.65, and 44.79 respectively in the 400m finals on Friday night, were expected to secure the qualification. Additionally, Malik James King, who clocked a lifetime best of 47.42 in the 400m hurdles, was also anticipated to contribute to the effort. However, their last-minute withdrawals left the team scrambling for replacements.
“We were most disappointed with respect to these late withdrawals,” Forbes told Sportsmax.TV. “It is my personal feeling that if one of the top three had come, we would have made the qualifying mark. It is very distressing when we thought we had persons ready and rearing to run for their country. These late withdrawals hit us hard. It must be remembered that the top 16 were advanced to the semi-final to facilitate this based on the suggestion of one of the athletes, and we took it on board. So, it’s most disappointing.”
Forbes highlighted the extensive preparations made to ensure the athletes were in optimal condition for the relay. Meetings with the athletes, coaches, and agents prior to the start of the National Championships led to the top 16 runners being advanced to the semi-finals, with heats and semi-finals run on Thursday and the finals on Friday night. This schedule was designed to give the runners ample time to recuperate before the 4x400m relay, which was scheduled for 8:05 pm on Sunday. The athletes were provided with hotel rooms for adequate rest and transportation. Additionally, two companies had put up JMD$1 million as an incentive for the runners should they achieve the qualification time.
“And I am not saying if one had an issue, particularly a potential injury or a niggle, they should have competed. But I find it a little off-putting that at least three of our top athletes did not participate, and the withdrawals, some of them were so very late, minutes before the start. I find it most distressing,” Forbes added. “We did it in good faith. I think maybe we should have them sign a contract. We did it in good faith because they are our athletes, and we figured there would be some amount of commitment to the cause in terms of advancing the country to the top 16. It is not good.”
Forbes noted that no explanations had been provided by the athletes for their late withdrawals. “We need to have a pow-wow to look at what really transpired because the information from the coaches was very fast, things moved very quickly, so we haven’t gathered all the information. But it was most distressing that at the last minute, persons were pulling out.”
Despite the setback, Forbes commended the efforts of Reheem Hayles, Tarees Rhoden, Kimar Farquharson, and Zandrian Barnes, who stepped up to compete. “I must pause to commend the ones who stepped up and gave it their all. They really tried,” he said.
The team, Jamaica Gold, which should have included national champion Deandre Watkins, Sean Bailey, Jevaughn Powell, and 400m hurdles champion Malik-James King, fell short of the qualification mark, leaving fans and officials angered and disheartened.
As hurricane Beryl continues to wreak havoc across the Caribbean, the West Indies Under-19 men’s and women’s Rising Stars tournaments have been placed on hold as host nations Trinidad and Tobago and St Vincent and the Grenadines suffered blows from the category four system.
Both tournaments are scheduled to start on Tuesday, but given the effects of Beryl, organisers were forced to shelf previous plans as they continue to assess the situation where travels and other logistical issues are concerned.
In fact, CWI vice president Azim Bassarath highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the tournament.
“Nothing as yet. We don’t know what is the situation with flights coming out of the different islands after Beryl. So, it (the tournament) is on hold until everything returns to normalcy,” he told T&T Newsday.
Jamaica won both Under-19 men's title last year.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Under-19 men’s team were set to depart their shores for St Vincent on Sunday. However, flights were cancelled throughout the Caribbean.
Up to late Monday, Trinidad and Tobago’s manager Kerwin John pointed out that they did not get any word from CWI on the tournament’s status.
“We are still at home. We have not travelled to St Vincent as yet, as the flight yesterday (Sunday) was cancelled from T&T to Barbados and Barbados to St Vincent. We are waiting on the cricket board to say when is that rescheduled flight,” John stated.
St Vincent and the Grenadines’ National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) reported significant damage to properties on Monday, with Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves revealing that the islands are still under a tropical storm warning.
“We have begun to receive heartbreaking reports out of the Union Island and the southern Grenadines, even as our agencies desperately attempt to re-establish communications with certain sections and ascertain the extent of the damage to the mainland,” the Prime Minister shared in a social media post.
T&T Under-19 women's team.
Meanwhile, Nadra Dwarika-Baptiste, manager of Trinidad and Tobago’s Under-19 women’s team said they were expected to get an update soon.
Barbados and Windward Island women’s teams are already in the twin island republic as they recently engaged the host in a tri-series in preparation for the CWI tournament.
“I know the teams are represented but I can’t say if everyone is here. We haven’t been in a setting to see if everyone is present. We have not gotten anything yet, but we do expect some meetings by this afternoon,” she said in an interview T&T Newsday.
Jamaica, Leeward Islands, and Guyana are the other teams for the women’s tournament that was initially scheduled for July 2-July 13.
The men’s competition also has six teams down to vie for the three-day, and 50-over titles.
Jamaica’s men’s under-19 team won both titles last year.
2016 Olympic champion Omar McLeod is considering stepping away from the 110m hurdles to focus on the 100m sprint, citing a loss of passion for the hurdles despite a remarkable career that saw him clinch major titles early on. In an interview with Sportsmax.TV, McLeod shared his mixed feelings after narrowly missing out on making Jamaica’s team for the 2024 Paris Olympics, despite running a season's best time in the final of the 110m hurdles at the Jamaica National Championships on Sunday.
McLeod clocked 13.22 seconds in a tightly contested final, finishing fifth behind Rasheed Broadbell (13.18), Orlando Bennett (13.18), and defending Olympic champion Hansle Parchment (13.19). Tyler Mason also posted 13.22, highlighting the depth of talent in Jamaica's sprint hurdles scene, with only 0.04 seconds separating the top five finishers.
Reflecting on his performance, McLeod said, “I am overjoyed, to be honest. I gave myself a fighting chance to come out here and make the finals. I knew what I was walking into; like I said last night (Saturday), this race was going to be electric, and I was very excited to race with Parchment and Broadbell and these guys again competitively.”
Despite his joy, McLeod expressed a deep sense of personal struggle over the past few years, during which he failed to qualify for the team to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and the World Championships in Oregon in 2022. He did not compete in the trials in 2023. “I think you know what I have been through over the years and how hard I had to fight to really get back into this situation, and I have never felt this happy and this amount of joy in a long time,” he said, fighting back tears. “So, the fact that I am here and I had a season best is a win. It’s a win in so many ways, and I can’t even explain it.”
At 30, McLeod feels he has accomplished all he needs to in the sprint hurdles, having won the Olympic title in 2016 and the World Indoor and Outdoor titles in 2017. Looking ahead, he is seeking new challenges. “Maybe not hurdles, because to be honest, I fell out of love with hurdles because I’ve won everything in hurdles at a young age, and it was very hard to find motivation for hurdles," McLeod explained. "Especially knowing that I have the talent for other events, and I really wanted to explore that over my career. I want to give myself a chance to do that. This was to give my shot again for the hurdles, but I think moving forward, I think I am going to step down to something that my heart wants, which is to sprint.”
McLeod boasts a personal best of 9.99 seconds in the 100m, making him the first man in history to run under 10 seconds in the 100m and under 13 seconds in the sprint hurdles. “You’ve seen the indoors and the progression that I’ve had over the years, so it’s there. I have always known that, but I’ve never gotten the opportunity and the chance to really explore that, and I really want that for myself.”
McLeod’s journey over the past few years has taken him to Italy, where he has found a renewed sense of purpose and joy under the guidance of Coach Marco Airale, who also trains fellow Jamaican Britany Anderson and British sprinter Daryll Neita. “I found a new life. I wanted to give myself a bright new start, and I knew I wanted to be around familiar faces and people that I really adore, and that would make it easier. I took the risk, and I took the blind faith, and I fell in love with the place. I found friends there, I found a community, I found family, and I am enjoying it thoroughly,” McLeod shared.
As McLeod contemplates his next steps, his focus is on pursuing what his heart desires, aiming to make his mark in the 100m sprint while cherishing the new life he has found in Italy.
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