Forward Daryl Dike is returning to his first professional club, signing with Orlando City SC through the 2027 MLS Sprint Season with a club option for 2027-28, the club announced on Friday.

In exchange for Dike’s Discovery Priority, Orlando City sent $75,000 in 2027 General Allocation Money (GAM) to Seattle Sounders FC. If certain performance-based metrics are reached, Orlando City will send Seattle an additional $75,000 GAM.

Dike, 26, was the No. 5 selection of the 2020 MLS SuperDraft and made 33 starts in 41 appearances across all competitions with the Lions. He scored 19 goals and compiled seven assists, highlighted by his team-leading 11 goals in 2021.

“Daryl is a player our club and our fans know well, and we’re very excited to welcome him back to Orlando,” Orlando City SC General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a statement. “He brings a powerful combination of strength, speed and physical presence, and his ability to hold up play, bring teammates into the attack and finish chances gives us another important option up front. Daryl has already shown what he can do in our league and in this city, and we look forward to helping him make an impact again in purple.”

Dike, originally from Edmond, Okla., played the past five seasons with West Bromwich Albion F.C. in England’s EFL Championship. In 138 professional matches, he scored 43 goals and added nine assists.

“I’m thrilled to be back where it all started. Orlando is where I first got the opportunity to play professionally, and returning here feels like coming home,” Dike said. “From the moment I arrived the first time, I felt welcomed, and that same feeling has only grown since I’ve come back. Everyone has been incredibly supportive, and I’m grateful to be back in Orlando.”

In 10 appearances for the U.S. Men’s National Team, Dike has three goals and helped the team win the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Orlando City returns to league play Wednesday against the host San Jose Earthquakes.

–Field Level Media

The top four seeds were all eliminated Friday at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad, with Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, Casper Ruud of Norway, Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech of France each exiting the clay-court tournament in Switzerland.

Quentin Halys of France completed a rain-delayed 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (5) upset of the top-seeded Bublik after returning to serve at 5-6 in the deciding set. Aleksandr Shevchenko also finished a suspended second-round match, beating Swiss wild card Dominic Stricker 7-6 (5), 6-2. Shevchenko later defeated Halys 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the quarterfinals.

No. 6 seed Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina rallied past second-seeded Ruud 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 after trailing by a break in the second set. Seventh-seeded Raphael Collignon of Belgium edged No. 3 Vacherot 7-6 (7), 4-6, 7-5, while Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas completed the sweep of the top four by defeating fourth-seeded Rinderknech 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

Nordea Open

Top-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev needed just 59 minutes to dispatch No. 8 Sebastian Baez of Argentina 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals at Bastad, Sweden.

Rublev converted four of his eight break opportunities while reaching the 50th ATP Tour semifinal of his career. The 2023 Bastad champion will next meet third-seeded Alejandro Tabilo of Chile, who advanced when No. 7 Thiago Agustin Tirante of Argentina withdrew before their match because of an injury.

Second-seeded Luciano Darderi of Italy saved three set points in the opening-set tiebreaker before defeating No. 5 Nuno Borges of Portugal 7-6 (9), 6-4. Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo claimed the remaining semifinal berth with a 7-6 (5), 6-2 victory over Italy’s Stefano Travaglia.

Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag

Spain’s Daniel Merida continued his run in Croatia by defeating Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga 6-4, 6-2 in the semifinals.

Merida secured his place in the second championship match of his career after losing in the final of the Tiriac Open in April. The 21-year-old broke Burruchaga early in both sets and won five of the final six games to close out the victory.

Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be Merida’s opponent in the final after rallying past Slovakia’s Alex Molcan 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Dzumhur recovered after dropping the opening set and finished the comeback in about two hours, 45 minutes. It will mark his first appearance in a final since 2018.

–Field Level Media

In nearly six quarters since star quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell went down July 5 with a broken ankle, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have managed a grand total of seven points.

Two field goals and a rouge are all this once-potent offense has scored in Mitchell’s absence. Little wonder, then, that Hamilton coach Scott Milanovich has settled on a new starting quarterback for Saturday night’s home contest against the Toronto Argonauts.

Former Edmonton starter Tre Ford will get the start Saturday night after coming in late Sunday for Jake Dolegala, who completed 17 of 30 passes for only 122 yards and an interception while being sacked twice versus the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Ford isn’t the precision passer Mitchell is, but, unlike the slow-footed Dolegala, he can make big plays with his feet, which could provide a spark the offense desperately needs.

“Obviously, Tre has a different skill set that we’re going to try to utilize this week,” Milanovich said. “He’s got to protect the ball first and foremost. And when they want to play coverage and things aren’t open, he’s got to create with his legs and God-given talent.”

While Hamilton (2-3) tries to create a new identity on offense, Toronto (2-3) has its own problems to work through. The Argonauts fell 30-21 on July 10 in Winnipeg despite 320 passing yards and two touchdowns from Chad Kelly.

Kelly has thrown for a league-high 1,804 yards through five games, but he has also had issues with turnovers. That’s put pressure on a defense that has allowed 36.6 points per contest.

One of the beneficiaries of Kelly’s season-opening surge has been receiver Dave Ungerer III, who’s on pace to shatter his career bests across the board. He already has 25 catches for 330 yards and three scores, which puts him on pace to grab 90 passes. His career high was last year with 53.

Going above 1,000 yards for the season would mean a lot to Ungerer.

“I’ve always felt it’s a symbol of consistency,” he said.

This is the first of three matchups between these teams over the next eight weeks.

–Field Level Media