Sports
Columbus rallies to beat rival Cincinnati
Columbus Crew offense Jamal Thiaré (19) heads the ball into the goal against the FC Cincinnati in the first half of the match at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field on July 25, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. Daniel Gazdag’s first-half penalty kick and Patrick Schulte’s four saves led the host Columbus Crew to a 2-1 comeback win over FC Cincinnati in the latest Hell Is Real derby on Saturday.
The Crew (5-8-4, 19 points) had one win in their previous six matches while Cincinnati (6-6-5, 23 points) had a three-match point streak end.
The rivalry got heated in the final minute and Cincinnati’s Gerado Valenzuela was red-carded after a scuffle broke out and the melee continued post-match in the Cincinnati tunnel.
Kevin Denkey staked Cincinnati a ninth-minute lead before the Crew rallied on scores from Jamal Thiare in the 42nd and a penalty kick by Gazdag in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time.
Columbus overcame an early deficit to take the 2-1 halftime lead on Gazdag’s second penalty kick in as many matches.
The Crew settled down after the Denkey score and Thiare found the equalizer off a corner kick by Dylan Chambost.
Thiare made a run to the middle of the box, got position on Miles Robinson and used a header for his first Crew goal after being acquired in a trade in February from Atlanta United, where he played the past three seasons.
At the 45-minute mark, Schulte made a critical stop with his right arm on a shot by Evander at the left post. The Crew followed with Max Arfsten drawing a foul at the end line from Matt Miazga that was upheld after a review.
Gazdag calmly scored from the spot for the 27th time in 28 tries in his MLS career with the Crew and the Philadelphia Union.
Cincinnati has allowed 42 goals after giving up 40 last season in 34 regular-season matches.
Denkey broke a tie with Evander for the club goal lead with his 11th but he couldn’t have done it with Evander and some poor defending by Mo Farsi.
Pavel Bucha attacked the right flank before sending a cross to the 6-yard box. Farsi tried to high kick the pass but whiffed and the ball went to Evander for a slick centering pass to Denkey, who did not miss.
Evander has a seven-match goal contribution streak (eight goals, seven assists).
This was the first meeting since Cincinnati won a best-of-three series in the 2025 playoffs.
– Field Level Media
Sports
Orlando City SC sign homegrown D Bernardo Rhein
Nov 24, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; The Orlando City logo is seen prior to a match against Atlanta United in a 2024 MLS Cup conference semifinal match at Inter&Co Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Orlando City SC signed homegrown defender Bernardo Rhein to a first-team contract through the 2027-28 season.
The deal includes team options for the 2028-29 and 2029-30 campaigns.
“Bernardo has earned this opportunity through his dedication, consistency and the progress he’s shown at every stage of our development pathway,” said Orlando City general manager Ricardo Moreira.
“Having started in futsal, Bernardo brings flair and intensity to our backline. From the Academy to OCB and now the First Team, he has embraced every challenge and continued to grow as a player and as a person. This signing reflects our commitment to developing talent from within, and we’re excited to support Bernardo as he takes the next step in his career with the Club.”
The 18-year-old made his MLS debut on April 22, 2026, against Charlotte FC. He becomes the 19th Orlando City Academy product to advance through the full development pathway.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jerry Kelly ties Cameron Percy atop Senior Open leaderboard
Jerry Kelly drives on hole No. 4 during the Kaulig Companies PGA Championship Final Round, July 12, 2026, at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. With a 2-under par third round, Jerry Kelly tied Cameron Percy atop the leaderboard of the ISPS Handa Senior Open in Perth, Scotland on Saturday.
For Kelly, it was his second straight round of 2-under par 68 en route to being at 8-under 202 through three rounds. Meanwhile, Percy had his roughest afternoon of the week with a 1-over 71. The Australian started the event red hot with a 7-under 63.
Peter Baker (67, 5-under 205) and South Africa’s Darren Fichardt (68, 4-under) resided in third and fourth place, respectively. Pat Perez (67), South African Ernie Els (71) and Austria’s Markus Brier are all tied for fifth at three-under par.
Despite his position, Kelly, 59, remains focused on the round ahead of him.
“Yeah, we scoreboard watch, but it’s still Saturday,” he said. “So, there’s no real emotions going on for that scoreboard. Just want to position yourself for tomorrow and you want to get the job done tomorrow and that’s the key.”
Nevertheless, he recognized how meaningful it would be to win a Senior Open Championship.
“Yeah, that would be one of the most special things at this stage of my career. Like any player, I might treasure that above all else.”
Tim Petrovic was the round leader, shooting a 4-under that vaulted him 46 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for 16th place.
Clark Dennis had a strong showing, as well. His 67 shot him up 21 spots to a tie for eighth place.
Charles Schwab Cup leader Stewart Cink (70) is tied for 31st at 3-over 213.
–Field Level Media
Sports
With 318th homer, Royals' Salvador Perez sets club mark
Jul 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) receives receives congratulations from teammates after he hits a home run in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Salvador Perez, who hit the first home run of his career at Comerica Park in Detroit in 2011, set the Kansas City Royals’ all-time record with No. 318 on Saturday at the same venue.
In the Royals’ 3-2 win over the Tigers, Perez tied the game at 2 in the seventh inning with a 401-foot solo shot to left off right-handed reliever Kyle Finnegan.
Perez’s blast broke a tie with Hall of Famer George Brett, who hit 317 homers for Kansas City from 1973-93. Like Brett, Perez has played his entire career with the Royals since debuting in 2011.
The 36-year-old is batting .210 with 15 homers and 44 RBIs in 98 games this season. He is a nine-time All-Star and a five-time Gold Glove catcher.
In 1,805 games with Kansas City, Perez has hit .261 with 748 runs and 1,060 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Orlando City SC sign homegrown D Bernardo Rhein
Jerry Kelly ties Cameron Percy atop Senior Open leaderboard
