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THREE POINTS: Houston Dash host Chicago Red Stars on Friday

NWSL Editor
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THREE POINTS: Houston Dash host Chicago Red Stars on Friday

NEED TO KNOW:

 

Houston host Mallorie Pugh, Kealia Ohai Watt and the Chicago Red Stars on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

 

Dash DF Abby Dahlkemper enters Friday’s game with 99 NWSL starts and appearances

 

Six Dash players to depart for national team duty after Friday’s game

 

 

HOUSTON – The Houston Dash return to BBVA Stadium on Friday to host the Chicago Red Stars at 7:30 p.m. CT. This is the final match prior to the September international window and Houston will return to league play on Sept. 26.

 

Houston and Chicago split the first two meetings of the season with Houston earning a 2-1 victory on May 29 at home. Houston has won two of their last four outings against Chicago, but trail in the all-time series with a 4-10-7 record against the Red Stars in all competitions.

 

The Red Stars enter with a 2-5-2 record away from Toyota Park after last Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Gotham FC at Red Bull Arena. Chicago currently sits in fifth place just four points shy of the second spot in the table. The Red Stars are led by USWNT forward Mallory Pugh, who has scored three goals and adds three assists in 17 appearances this season.

 

Houston enters Friday’s match with a 4-2-3 record at home and look to capitalize on their final games at BBVA Stadium this season. The Dash return from the international break with a three-game road trip beginning with a trip to Louisville on Sept. 26. Houston returns to BBVA Stadium after a three-game road trip on Saturday, Oct. 9 to host the North Carolina Courage.

 

 

Here are the three key points ahead of Friday’s game:

 

 

  1. DALY WITHIN REACH OF NEW CLUB RECORD: Dash captain Rachel Daly scored for Houston last Sunday against the Orlando Pride. The goal was Daly’s 28th in NWSL regular-season play, tying her with Kealia Ohai Watt for the team regular-season scoring record. Daly already owns the scoring record for Houston in all competitions with 33 goals. The 29-year-old made her debut in 2016 against the Red Stars and scored the opening goal in a 3-1 victory at BBVA Stadium. Daly has scored five goals against the Red Stars in her NWSL career and her next goal will give her sole ownership of the club regular-season scoring record.

 

  1. SIX DASH PLAYERS TO DEPART FOR NATIONAL TEAM DUTY: Five Houston Dash players will depart for international duty on Saturday for the September FIFA window. Jane Campbell, Abby Dahlkemper and Kristie Mewis will join the USWNT for a pair of friendlies against Paraguay in Ohio. Rachel Daly will join England for the opening round of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers. Andrea Hauksdottir will join Iceland for the start of their World Cup qualifying campaign against the Netherlands on Sept. 21 and Michelle Alozie will join Nigeria for the inaugural Aisha Buhari Cup.

 

3.      CHICAGO IN THE MIX FOR TOP SEED: The Red Stars close a two-game road trip in Houston on Friday and look to bounce back after a 0-0 draw with Gotham FC last Saturday. Chicago finished with 18 shots against Gotham but her held scoreless for the third time in their last five games. The Red Stars currently sit in fifth place and look to build a buffer as seven points separate the North Carolina Courage in second place and the Houston Dash in eighth place. Chicago returns to Toyota Park after the international break for a two-game homestand against the Portland Thorns and Orlando Pride.

PREVIEW: Orlando Pride Host Racing Louisville on Saturday

NWSL Editor
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PREVIEW: Orlando Pride Host Racing Louisville on Saturday

Pride look to build off two-consecutive results

 

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando Pride (6-5-7, 25 points) welcomes Racing Louisville (4-8-5, 17 points) for the second time this season on Saturday, Sept. 11 at Exploria Stadium. Kickoff for the match is set for 7 p.m. ET, with the contest available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. and international viewers able to tune in on Twitch.

 

Tickets for Saturday’s match, presented by Publix, are available at Orlando-Pride.com or by calling (855) ORL-CITY.

 

“I feel like a broken record when I say this, but when I look at rosters and see all these amazing players on every roster, there’s no one that you can take for granted and [Racing Louisville] is no different,” interim Head Coach Becky Burleigh said ahead of the match. “They’re very, very talented. Some of these players I know quite well from having played against them in college, some of them are internationals with tons of experience. In the end, I think we have to focus on what we need to get better at and we need to continue to see an upward rise in our play.”

 

Saturday’s match will be the second regular season meeting between the two sides. The first meeting, which also took place at Exploria Stadium, ended in a 1-1 draw after Louisville took an early lead courtesy of an Ebony Salmon strike in the 21st minute. However, Sydney Leroux was able to find the back of the net in the 94th minute, securing the draw and point for the Pride.

 

The Pride come into Saturday’s match looking to build off a 1-1 draw with the Houston Dash in downtown Orlando last Sunday. The Dash struck early, finding themselves on the board in the 10th minute. Orlando answered back in the 79th minute however when Taylor Kornieck got her head on the end of a Meggie Dougherty Howard cross, placing the ball over the top of Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell.

 

Leroux continues to lead the Orlando Pride with seven goals on the season. Teammates Marta and Taylor Kornieck continue to lead the Pride in assists, each with three on the year.

 

Racing Louisville enters the matchup after a 1-1 draw against OL Reign last weekend. Nadia Nadim scored Louisville’s lone goal in the contest, but OL Reign was able to answer back in the 74th minute to level the sides.

 

Ebony Salmon leads Racing Louisville with five goals on the season, with Nadim close behind with three. Savannah McCaskill has recorded three assists on the season, leading the side in the category.

 

Following Saturday’s match, the Pride will enjoy over a week off from match play before traveling to OL Reign for the first of back-to-back road fixtures on Sunday, Sept. 26.

Minnesota Lynx Sign Forward Jillian Alleyne

WNBA Editor
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Minnesota Lynx Sign Forward Jillian Alleyne

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – Minnesota Lynx Head Coach and General Manager Cheryl Reeve today announced the team has signed forward Jillian Alleyne to a seven-day contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

 

Alleyne (pronounced AY-leen) returns to Minnesota following a two-game appearance for Washington this season, where she totaled four rebounds and one steal in eight minutes of play before being waived on May 22. The 6-3 forward spent time in the Russia-PBL with the Dynamo Novosibirsk Region this past winter, where she appeared in 20 games averaging 15.2 points on 53.9% shooting, 12.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.9 blocked shots per game prior to joining the Mystics.

 

The Fontana, Calif. native previously saw action for the Lynx in 2019 for five games, collecting four points, five rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot in just over 14 minutes of total play.

 

Alleyne was selected by Phoenix in the second round (20th overall) of the 2016 WNBA Draft following a four-year career at the University of Oregon that saw her average 17.9 points on 54.3% shooting and 14.3 rebounds in 120 games. She completed her NCAA career as the 10th player in Division I history with at least 2,000 points and 1,500 rebounds. Alleyne also finished with the second-most double-doubles in Division I history (92) and the third-most rebounds (1712).

 

Alleyne will be eligible to join Minnesota for tonight’s home contest against Indiana at 7:00 pm CT at Target Center and will wear number 14.

Cubs place LHP Adam Morgan on bereavement list, recall RHP Tommy Nance from Triple-A Iowa

MLB Editor
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Cubs place LHP Adam Morgan on bereavement list, recall RHP Tommy Nance from Triple-A Iowa

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today placed left-handed pitcher Adam Morgan on the bereavement list and recalled right-handed pitcher Tommy Nance from Triple-A Iowa.

 

Nance, 30, begins his third stint with Chicago having gone 1-0 with a 5.06 ERA (12 ER/21.1 IP) in 19 relief appearances in his major league debut campaign. He has walked 10 and struck out 23, good for an average of 9.7 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. The six-foot six-inch righthander began his major league career with 11.1-consecutive scoreless innings spanning his first 11 outings, May 17-June 11.

 

Originally signed by Chicago as a non-drafted free agent in January of 2016, Nance this season with Iowa is 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA (4 ER/15.1 IP) in 10 relief appearances, having walked three with 18 strikeouts and a 0.65 WHIP.

 

Nance attended Long Beach State University in 2010, Cypress Junior College in 2011 and Santa Clara University in 2012-13. Prior to signing with Chicago, Nance appeared in 29 games for the Windy City ThunderBolts of the independent Frontier League in 2015.

 

Morgan, 31, has no record, four holds, two saves and a 3.32 ERA (8 ER/21.2 IP) in 29 relief appearances for Chicago since he was selected from Iowa, June 29.

Elias Digital Solutions launches new “Elias Game Plan” App to Take Sports Betting to the Next Level

Gaming Editor
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Elias Digital Solutions launches new “Elias Game Plan” App to Take Sports Betting to the Next Level

Elias Sports Bureau-owned provider of sports viewing solutions, Elias Digital Solutions, has launched a new sports app for mobile devices. Named the Elias Game Plan, the application will provide sports stat, data, and analysis for fervent sports fans and sports bettors alike.

Everything for Sports Betting in a Compact Package
The application is already released and is ready for sports lovers who are tuned for this year’s National Football League season. Thanks to the Elias Game Plan, these fans now have a reliable source of information that has been conveniently streamlined for their use. Users can view the schedule for future games, see the stats of a team and its players and even make various comparisons. Elias Game Plan will also provide hot updates on player injuries and all the important details about the current state of the players.

Bettors can benefit a lot from the application as it will have various user-friendly features that take their experience a step higher. Novice bettors will have a complete explanation of how betting options work and definitions of various sports terms. Elias Game Plan provides wagering lovers with special insights right from the competent researchers and analysts from Elias Sports Bureau. Everything displayed on the application will first be curated by the professional Elias Sports Bureau experts. The app also shares relevant data and displays betting options from top sportsbooks as well as betting odds that help users place an optimal bet.

Finally, the application will have a well-designed comprehensive interface that is easily navigable by both veteran sports fans and bettors and newcomers to the industry. A crisp and sleek design makes it a breeze to use Elias Game Plan, compare teams, and see betting odds.

Elias Aims to Connect with Fans and Enhance Their Experience
Elias Sports Bureau’s head of product, David Zaretsky, explained that Elias Digital Solutions was designed to fill a gap on the market. He explained that, according to statistics, many sports bettors, veterans, and newcomers alike, struggle with finding information before placing a bet. When they do find sources, much of the information is incomplete, unstructured, or even conflicting.

Zaretsky continued by saying that the Elias Game Plan application aims to be a solution to this problem and help bettors make well-thought-out decisions before placing a bet.

“We know betting enhances the enjoyment of sports. We build a community around our shared love of sports and our favorite teams. Elias Game Plan levels the playing field for experienced and novice bettors,” Zaretsky elaborated.

Elias Sports Bureau’s president, Joe Gilston, added that even though many relate Elias to the professional statistics from United States sports leagues, the company’s true goal is to connect with fans and improve their experience. Gilston believes that the Elias Game Plan is the perfect example of that as it aims to provide fans with a cutting-edge technology solution that adds to their sports viewing enjoyment.

Fans of professional sports leagues can get the app right now for both iPhone and Android.

CFL Preview: Riders, Bombers square off in Annual Banjo Bowl

CFL Editor
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CFL Preview: Riders, Bombers square off in Annual Banjo Bowl

WINNIPEG — On the heels of the Labour Day Classic, the Saskatchewan Roughriders travel to Winnipeg to take on the Blue Bombers in the 17th annual Banjo Bowl.

After handing the Riders their first loss of the season in convincing fashion after causing issues for Cody Fajardo and the Riders’ offence, the Bombers leapfrogged into first place in the CFL. With a Labour Day Classic win secured in enemy territory now in the rear view, the team returns home to IG Field and turns their attention to Saturday’s second half of the home-and-home series with intentions set on defending their 2019 Banjo Bowl title.

While his team has just played and was very successful against the Riders, Bombers’ head coach Mike O’Shea isn’t planning on resting on his laurels ahead of Saturday. In fact, O’Shea sees the game as an entirely different challenge and an opportunity for his team to get better.

“We treat this as a separate contest,” said O’Shea. “I know it’s the same opponent, I know we just ended up with two points, but there’s still lots to fix, there’s still growth to be had for every player, there’s still the idea of making those improvements.”

Additionally, O’Shea was ecstatic with the performance of his defence, limited Cody Fajardo and the Riders’ offence to only eight points and 276 yards, but says it’s all in the past.

“I believe the defence played really well,” said O’Shea. “It was a really pleasing game. Once again, it’s part of who we are, you have to move on. They were certainly going to enjoy that win that night, just don’t think you can stare in the rear-view mirror and admire it for too long.”

An area of that defence that made it so difficult for the Riders offence to get anything going was the Bombers’ pass rush.

Ruining entire games is nothing new for the star-studded front seven that includes Willie Jefferson, Jackson Jeffcoat, Casey Sayles, and linebacker Adam Bighill as the Bombers defence has recorded a sack or more in four of their fives games so far this season. With constant pressure coming down on Fajardo, Brandon Alexander was able to make plays in the secondary as he recorded two picks on the day. Though his play on the weekend earned him a Top Performer of the Week for Week 5, he notes it was a team effort.

“It’s the D-line, the linebackers getting after it, you got the DBs running to the ball afterwards, there are just a lot of things on that film that you can definitely take home and write about,” said Alexander.

Alexander also knows that coming off the performance that he did, Fajardo will be looking to come back with vengeance.

“I know that he’s looking forward to making up for whatever that he felt he did wrong last game,” said Alexander. “We know we’re going to get something different from him and we’re going to have to make our adjustments to try and have another game like that again.”

Having seen what Toronto did against the Bombers with the implementation of their run game, William Powellfeels that there is a way to dampen the effect of Winnipeg’s defence.

“We feel like there’s opportunities whether it be in the pass game or the run game,” said Powell. “We feel like we left some opportunities out there, we feel like that there’s more opportunities if we game plan and execute properly.”

While Powell and the Riders’ offence were only able to gain 65 rushing yards against the Bombers’ front, they have shown that they can run against a physical defence, having racked up 165 yards on the turf against Hamilton in Week 2.

When asked about what the Riders’ offence needs to do better this week, Fajardo issued the same sentiment as Powell, stating that they looked to the Argonauts for inspiration.

“That’s kind of been our momentum, our motto, was looking the way Toronto came out,” said Fajardo. “I think they completed 50 per cent the first time they played them and then the second time they played them it was somewhere around 75, 78 per cent and scored points on them.”

For Riders’ head coach Craig Dickenson, the key to the Riders’ success Saturday depends on two areas; starting strong and winning the trenches.

“We just got to have some success early in the game against Winnipeg, try to get a decent start and get our confidence back,” said Dickenson. “We got to be able to protect the quarterback and move people in the run game and stop the run on defence.”

The Banjo Bowl kicks off at 4:00 p.m. ET this Saturday on TSN and ESPN+ and can also be followed along on CFL.ca’s Game Tracker.

CFL Preview: Argonauts, Tiger-Cats clash for rematch in the Six

CFL Editor
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CFL Preview: Argonauts, Tiger-Cats clash for rematch in the Six

TORONTO — In a rematch of Monday’s Labour Day Classic, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats make their way to BMO Field to tangle with the Toronto Argonauts on Friday Night Football.

Riding high off their dominant 32-19 win in their long-awaited home opener during Mark’s Labour Day Weekend, Hamilton is looking to continue their upward trajectory.

With a record of 2-0 since their bye week, all aspects of their game have seen improvement. Offensively, Dane Evans has returned to his efficient, accurate 2019 self as he has thrown for combined four touchdowns in that time.

On special teams, Frankie Williams has now put the league on notice twice as he has shined in back-to-back punt and kick return performances. With their defence now finding their rhythm as well, they look to create some separation in the three-way tie for first in the East Division between themselves, the Argos and the Montreal Alouettes.

While facing the same opponent can make preparation easier as game plans don’t alter tremendously, Ticats’ head coach Orlondo Steineaur knows that the same outcome isn’t not promised.

“I don’t feel there is any carry-over,” said Steinauer. “They didn’t give us four points or six points for that victory; you get the same two points. It’s going to be zero-to-zero, it’s going to be super physical and we’re going to get their best…when they’re playing like that, you find out what you’re made of.”

While he can’t deny the uplifting energy that Ticats’ fans provide at Tim Hortons Field, Simoni Lawrence has had some undeniable success in Toronto.

During the Argos’ first-ever game at BMO Field in 2016, Lawrence tormented then quarterback Ricky Ray and the Double Blue offence, recording seven defensive tackles, a pair of sacks and a pick-six. His success would not end there, in 2019 Lawrence picked off and sacked starting quarterback James Franklin. Given his resume playing in the province’s capital, it should be no surprise that he is looking forward to Friday’s game.

“I just like the atmosphere in Toronto,” said Lawrence. “I understand we have a really good defensive team and we put on a great show and our team as a whole just puts on a great show for Toronto. My Toronto friends always tell me that they love when we come into town, it’s like the funnest game they get to watch.”

In Toronto, the mood is different as the Argonauts look to respond, but have been in this situation before having played the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Weeks 2 and 3.

While the first game did not go their way as they lost at IG Field 20-7, they bounced back the following week under Nick Arbuckle in the team’s 30-23 win at BMO Field. That contest saw the Argonauts play their most complete game of the young season as Arbuckle threw for 310 yards and the Argos as a whole generated a staggering 170 more yards on offence.

With the fear of dropping two in a row, Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie knows how important Friday is.

“The unfortunate part is, you want to get the first one won and then you don’t feel the pressure we feel,” said Dinwiddie. “So as a staff, we’re really feeling that we have to find a way to get a win this week.”

One area that Dinwiddie is looking to improve upon this week to help him come out on the other side is the execution of big plays.

“We have to find a way to have some explosive plays,” said Dinwiddie. “I always look to have four or more 25+ each week in our goals.”

On the defensive side of the ball, Dinwiddie was happy with the performance of his unit. Having pressured and brought down Evans three times on the day, he knows that his defence can keep them in close games, but feels that they will need to find another gear this week.

“I thought we did a good job with just the front four getting after him [Evans], but we’ve got to be better on Friday, though,” said Dinwiddie.

Kickoff for the second-straight Battle of the QEW is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET on TSN, RDS and ESPN+ and can also be follow along on CFL.ca’s Game Tracker.

Orioles roster moves

MLB Editor
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Orioles roster moves

This afternoon, the Orioles made the following roster moves:

 

Recalled INF Richie Martin from Triple-A Norfolk.

 

Placed RHP Matt Harvey on the 10-day Injured List (right knee inflammation).

Colorado Rockies transactions

MLB Editor
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Colorado Rockies transactions

The Colorado Rockies announced today that they have reinstated outfielder Yonathan Daza from the Injured List and optioned right-hander Antonio Santos to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Twins place Randy Dobnak on 10-day injured list

MLB Editor
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Twins place Randy Dobnak on 10-day injured list

Andrew Albers recalled from Triple-A St. Paul

 

CLEVELAND, OH – The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have placed right-handed pitcher Randy Dobnak on the 10-day Injured List with a right middle finger strain (retroactive to September 8).

 

Dobnak, who was scheduled to make the start tonight against the Cleveland Indians, was returned from his rehab assignment and reinstated from the 60-day Injured List on September 1 after missing 61 games with the same injury. He has gone 1-7 with a 7.64 ERA (50.2 IP, 43 ER), 12 walks and 27 strikeouts in 14 games (6 starts) for the Twins this season.

 

To replace Dobnak on the roster, the Twins have recalled left-handed pitcher Andrew Albers from Triple-A St. Paul. Albers, who was optioned to Triple-A after Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay, has appeared in three games (2 starts) for the Twins this season, going 1-1 and allowing 10 runs on 15 hits in 12.1 innings pitched, with three walks and eight strikeouts. Albers will make the start tonight against Cleveland.

 

Additionally, right-handed pitcher Derek Law, who was designated for release or assignment on Sunday, has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A St. Paul.

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