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Zavier Gozo, Real Salt Lake keep up hot start over Kansas City

MLS: Sporting Kansas City at Real Salt LakeApr 4, 2026; Sandy, Utah, USA; Sporting Kansas City midfielder Lasse Johnsen (4) moves the ball against Real Salt Lake midfielder Zavier Gozo (72) during the first half at America First Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Zavier Gozo had a goal and an assist on Saturday afternoon to help Real Salt Lake earn a 3-1 victory over visiting Sporting Kansas City.

Diego Luna and Sergi Solans also scored for Salt Lake (4-1-1, 13 points), which extended its unbeaten streak to five games. Noel Caliskan tallied two assists for Salt Lake, which improved to 3-0 at home. Salt Lake had 22 shot attempts to Kansas City’s five.

Dejan Joveljic scored his team-leading fourth goal of the season for Kansas City (1-4-1, four points), which remains in last place in the Western Conference standings. SKC goalkeeper John Pulskamp made four saves but allowed three goals for the club, which owns the Western Conference’s worst goal differential (minus-8).

After going ahead 1-0 in the opening half, Salt Lake doubled its lead at the 55-minute mark, when Gozo assisted Solans on a right-footed goal in the box. Kansas City answered just four minutes later though, as Joveljic’s fourth goal of the season cut the deficit in half. Justin Reynolds assisted on the shot from the center of the box.

After Kansas City threatened to tie the score on Manu Garcia’s attempt, Salt Lake pushed its cushion back to two on Gozo’s goal in the 82nd minute. Caliskan found Gozo, who fired in a laser from the right of the box.

Salt Lake struck first just four minutes into the match, as Caliskan found Luna, who dribbled to the top of the box and fired in a left-footed shot past the outstretched Pulskamp.

Salt Lake continued to live in Kansas City’s territory, threatening to double its lead with nine shot attempts across the game’s first 25 minutes.

In total, Real Salt Lake tallied 12 first-half shot attempts to Kansas City’s two. Pulskamp made three saves in the first 45-plus minutes.

–Field Level Media

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Islanders fire Patrick Roy, tab Pete DeBoer as coach

NHL: New York Islanders at Carolina HurricanesApr 4, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy reacts against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

The New York Islanders fired Hall of Famer Patrick Roy as the team’s head coach Sunday and replaced him with Peter DeBoer.

The Islanders (42-31-5, 89 points) have lost a season-high four in a row and reside in third place in the Metropolitan Division, one point ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets. New York is idle until Thursday, when they’ll host the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Roy, 60, posted a 97-78-22 record in three seasons since taking over for Lane Lambert as coach of the Islanders.

DeBoer, 57, guided the Dallas Stars to the Western Conference final in three straight seasons before being fired by the team on June 6. He posted a 149-68-29 record with Dallas.

DeBoer has a 662-447-152 coaching record with the Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, Golden Knights and Stars. He guided the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012 and the Sharks to the finals in 2016.

Roy was a four-time Stanley Cup champion and a three-time Vezina Trophy recipient during his playing days.

He is the fourth coach to be fired this season. Rick Bowness replaced Dean Evason in Columbus on Jan. 12, D.J. Smith took over from Jim Hiller in Los Angeles on March 1 and John Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy with Vegas on March 29.

–Field Level Media

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ATP roundup: Rafael Jodar wins in Marrakech for first career title

Tennis: BNP Paribas OpenMar 4, 2026; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Mariano Navone (ARG) hits a shot against Marcos Giron (USA) in his first round match during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Spain’s Rafael Jodar, 19, captured his first ever ATP tour title in smooth fashion, taking down Argentinian qualifier Marco Trungelliti in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 in the Grand Prix Hassan II final on Sunday in Marrakech, Morocco.

Just 12 months ago, Jodar was ranked No. 911 in the world rankings but has had a quick ascent the last few months after making his tour debut earlier this year at the Australian Open. He became the first ever teenager to lift the trophy in Marrakech.

Jodar came out hot as he broke Trungelliti’s in the very first service of the game in which there were six deuces. Jodar led in winners (21-5) and faced just one break which he saved. He knocked home 15 of 17 second serve points (88.2 percent) and converted four of nine break points.

Trungelliti, 36, was also playing in his first career final after taking down the first, third and fifth seeds on the way to the finals. On Monday he will become the oldest man to make his top 100 debut in the rankings. This final marked the fifth-largest age gap between participants since 1990.

Tiriac Open

Seventh-seeded Mariano Navone of Argentina held strong to take down Spaniard qualifier Daniel Merida 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in a 2-hour, 17-minute final in Bucharest, Romania.

Navone took control in the first set by converting 19 of 21 first serves and breaking Merida twice. After faltering in the second set and losing his second service of the all-decisive third set, Navone broke Merida’s serve on three of the final four games of the match.

This is Navone’s first ever title after he lost in this same final in straight sets in 2024. According to the ATP live rankings, this should bump Navone up 18 spots to No. 42 in the world which would surpass his highest ranking of No. 47 in 2024.

U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship

American fourth-seed Tommy Paul is facing off with Roman Andres Burruchaga of Argentina in the final in Houston, Texas.

–Field Level Media

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Alabama locks down Nate Oats, makes him one of highest-paid coaches

Syndication: Detroit Free PressAlabama head coach Nate Oats reacts to a play against Michigan during the first half of NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 round at United Center in Chicago on Friday, March 27, 2026.

Alabama has agreed to a contract extension with men’s basketball coach Nate Oats that will make him one of the five highest-paid coaches in the sport, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne announced Sunday via X.

“Appropriate members of The Board of Trustees have been notified of the proposed terms of the new agreement and it will soon be formally approved through the Board process,” Byrne wrote in a statement.

“We are good! He’s not going anywhere,” Byrne wrote on his personal X account.

This is the third contract extension in four years for Oats, whose previous extension in early 2024 ran through March 2030 and was scheduled to pay him $6.02 million for the 2026-27 season.

Complete details on the new contract have yet to be announced but, according to USA Today, the five highest-paid coaches at public schools in 2024-25 each made at least $6.1 million — when Oats tied for ninth nationally with a $5 million base salary.

Oats’ impending raise should put him in the same neighborhood with Kansas’ Bill Self, Arkansas’ John Calipari, UConn’s Dan Hurley, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd. On Friday, Arizona announced a new five-year deal with Lloyd that starts at $7.2 million, presumably to keep the national Naismith Coach of the Year from leaving for the open North Carolina job.

Alabama’s rationale for a new deal could have been driven by the same fear.

“As long as we’re able to compete to win championships here — SEC, national championships. We haven’t done that here yet — I’d love to be the coach to bring us our first national championship,” Oats said March 26 when asked about potential links to the North Carolina head coaching vacancy.

“To me, there’s absolutely no reason to leave here. While it’s flattering that a high school guy that caught a couple of breaks would be mentioned with some of these jobs, because they’ve got a lot of tradition, I’m not a guy that’s looking to get out of here any time soon.”

Oats, 51, has been the head coach at Alabama since 2019 and has compiled a 170-73 record (.700) in his seven seasons. The Crimson Tide have competed in a program record-tying six straight NCAA Tournaments.

This season Alabama lost to Michigan, who will play for the National Championship on Monday, in the Sweet Sixteen.

Oats’ deepest run was when he helped lead Alabama to the Final Four as a No. 4 seed during the 2023-24 season. The Crimson Tide fell short to eventual champion UConn.

Oats has led Alabama to at least two NCAA Tournament wins in all but one of his six appearances with the school.

–Field Level Media

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