#defensive-performance

#defensive-performance

I don't think too much about the rest of the teams. We want to go to Villarreal and win. It's good that the opponents feel under pressure, but that is not in our hands. After a few weeks in which we suffered, we are back. With all the players close to 100%, you can see the ability of the team.

After falling far short of expectations in 2025, the San Jose State football program will have a very different look next fall. The Spartans, picked to finish third in the Mountain West preseason media poll, went 3-9 and finished in a three-way tie for ninth place, finishing ahead of only Colorado State. San Jose State's unprecedented run of three straight bowl appearances was snapped, and head coach Ken Niumatalolo, who just completed his second season with the Spartans,

A surprise stat has emerged showing that Manchester City's new goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, a big summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain, actually looks like a major flop so far. The Italian shot-stopper was a world class performer at PSG, playing a key role in their Champions League success last season, particularly with so many match-winning saves in both legs of the semi-final win over Arsenal. Now Donnarumma is up against Arsenal in the Premier League with Man City, but he's not made a particularly convincing start.

The New England Patriots coaching staff is rich with experience. Mike Vrabel won Coach of the Year in 2021, and Josh McDaniels has two head-coaching stints and over a decade of experience as an offensive coordinator. Terrell Williams has been in the NFL since 2010 as a positional coach and assistant head coach, and pass game coordinator Thomas Brown served as the Bears' interim head coach last season.

Liverpool delivered a mature and composed performance against Europe's most decorated club, with Alexis Mac Allister scoring the decisive goal in the 61st minute. The result not only strengthened Liverpool's position but also sent a strong message to their continental rivals. Despite the narrow score line, the hosts dominated from start to finish. Liverpool registered 17 shots on goal, forcing Thibaut Courtois, the same goalkeeper who denied them in the 2022 Champions League final, into nine crucial saves.

As a 22 year old D-man, Owen Power came into the league as one of the most promising players, especially lining up with fellow first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin. As a right and left defensive pairing, the Sabres would have one of the most exciting and promising blue lines, but four years in so far, Power doesn't loom first overall caliber.

Leverkusen have reached their top form under the new coach. They lost a lot of talent but also brought in talent. When you see how many chances they create and how many goals they score, they're still a dangerous team that's picked up results in the Bundesliga. So, this is still a top game in the Bundesliga. And we've got the rivalry of the past few years that still exists in our squad.

Quinn found the right formula. The Commanders recovered from a slow start to completely overwhelm the Chargers, scoring 27 unanswered points to come away with a comfortable victory on the road. This was a massive confidence boost when the team needed it most. But for one underperforming veteran, the outlook wasn't nearly as positive. Noah Igbinoghene is quickly becoming a Commanders afterthought. The Commanders made their stance on cornerback Noah Igbinoghene crystal clear.

There is a lot of expectation on a wonderful goalkeeper who is one of the best in world football. There was talk that this might be City looking beyond Pep Guardiola, but the save he made from Bryan Mbeumo was who he is - a world-class save to keep United at nil and he just gets up like 'that's what my job is'.

By just about any standard, Rielly just endured a season to forget. His production slipped from 58 to 41 points, making it tougher to stomach the weaknesses that always come with his strengths. Frankly, you could even ask if Rielly is a clear-cut No.1 defenseman. After all, Jake McCabe averaged slightly more ice time during both the regular season and playoffs.