Sports
West's best clash north of border as LAFC take on Whitecaps
Jul 25, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; LAFC forward Son Heung-Min (7) celebrates with forward Denis Bouanga (99) after scoring a goal during the first half against Sporting Kansas City at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images The Vancouver Whitecaps will be in a battle to keep hold of the top spot in the Western Conference when they host Los Angeles FC on Saturday night.
The Whitecaps (10-3-3, 33 points) hold matches in hand over LAFC and the San Jose Earthquakes immediately below them, but have returned from the World Cup break in middling form.
After dealing with Canadian Premier League side Cavalry FC in the Canadian Championship — earning a win and a draw in the set — the defending conference champions fell 4-3 at FC Cincinnati and fought Minnesota United to a scoreless draw on the road.
To further complicate matters, the team confirmed the sale of Sebastian Berhalter to Middlesbrough on Tuesday, leaving a hole in the midfield that has yet to be filled.
“It’s not a big surprise for me,” Vancouver head coach Jesper Sorensen said in a press conference that day. “It’s not in the short term strengthening us because Sebastian was playing at such a high level, but we also know that when people leave, it will open up opportunities for others.”
On the flip side, Vancouver has been strengthened by the returns of Designated Player and captain Ryan Gauld and left back Sam Adekugbe from lengthy injury-induced absences — the latter played his first competitive match in 419 days when he subbed on late against Minnesota on July 25.
The Whitecaps also bolstered their depth with the acquisition of Canadian international forward Kwasi Poku from Belgian side RWDM Brussels on Thursday.
In contrast, they will face a Los Angeles team (10-5-3, 33 points) in faultless form since its return. Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga have terrorized opposition defenses, helping the Black and Gold outscore their opponents 10-1 in July en route to three wins.
Both head to Vancouver on three-match scoring runs, Bouanga nabbing a brace and an assist in a 4-0 win against Sporting Kansas City in their last outing. Son netted two goals in the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday and was named MVP.
“When he came back from the World Cup, there was a lot of talk of us getting a Sonny that mentally was not in a good place,” LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos said. “But I always said… inside our bubble here, I never felt him with a lack of focus or confidence.”
The match will mark the two teams’ first encounter since last year’s conference semifinals — won by the Whitecaps — and Dos Santos’ first clash against his former team.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pens sign F Tommy Novak to 3-year, $13.95M extension
Mar 8, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Tommy Novak (18) reacts after scoring the game winning goal in overtime against Boston Bruins at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The Pittsburgh Penguins signed forward Tommy Novak to a three-year, $13.95 million contract extension on Friday.
Novak, 29, posted 42 points (16 goals, 26 assists) in 82 games in his first full season with the Penguins in 2025-26.
Acquired in a trade with Nashville in March 2025, Novak has 159 points (65 goals, 94 assists) in 285 career games.
The Predators drafted the St. Paul, Minn., native in the third round in 2015 and he made his NHL debut in 2021.
Novak, who would have been a free agent after the 2026-27 season, will earn an average annual salary of $4.65 million. The extension will run through the 2029-30 season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Top 10 Sports Moments of July: Ranking the Biggest Moments of the Month
Jul 25, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) hits an RBI single against the Philadelphia Phillies during the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images July is one of the quiet months on the sporting calendar, right? Not this year.
With the NBA and NHL season having come to a close, baseball takes center stage before the NFL comes roaring back in the next few months.
With the World Cup finishing up and a star-studded NBA free agency class, July supplied many unexpected and jaw-dropping moments. It’s hard to debate the top spot but the rest of the list was highly contested as we ranked the top 10 best sports moments in July.
Cody Bellinger, American League take All-Star game
It wasn’t much of a back-and-forth game as the American League jumped ahead early and never let the National league gain footing with a 4-0 win. Cody Bellinger’s first inning two-run single earned him MVP honors in just the second All-Star game shutout this century.
Jannik Sinner returns to glory and wins Wimbledon
After being bounced in the second round at the French Open last month, Jannik Sinner claimed his first Grand Slam since last year’s Wimbledon. He won his fifth major in dominant fashion, dropping just one set after the first round and taking down reigning French Open champion Alexander Zverev 7-6 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4.
WNBA all star game boasts massive numbers
The WNBA continues to grow substantially and this year’s All-Star game was a direct indicator. More fans showed up to watch the WNBA’s All-Star game (19,783) than did the NBA All-Star game (15,973). On the broadcast side, it averaged 3.2 million viewers which was not only a 44% increase from last season, but was also the fifth-most watched game in league history.
Giannis Antetokounmpo gets his wish, finally gets traded
In a saga that has spanned across multiple offseasons, Giannis Antetokounmpo has at last been traded away from the Milwaukee Bucks in a move that drastically changes the landscape of the Eastern conference. The Miami Heat are the winners of the sweepstakes for the Greek Freak and their title odds surged from 30-1 all the way to 18-1
Red Sox notch historic 15-game winning streak
Jul 30, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics center fielder Lawrence Butler (4) slides under the tag of Boston Red Sox second baseman Anthony Seigler (48) during the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images On June 24th, the Boston Red Sox sat dead last in the AL East with a 32-46 record. For the next month the Red Sox proceeded to not lose a single game, rattling off 15 straight wins while averaging nearly six runs per game. The historic franchise tied its longest win streak ever last set in 1946, and have been propelled into a playoff push.
The U.S. Men’s National Team takes down Bosnia
As one of the host nations of the World Cup, the U.S. had many lofty expectations for the tournament. While their dreams were ultimately cut short, the USMNT showed up in the round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina with a convincing 2-0 win. For just a moment after Malik Tillman’s free kick clinching goal, it seemed the U.S. could go all the way.
Ryan Fox rallies for Open Championship
Jul 19, 2026; Southport, ENG; Ryan Fox poses with the Claret Jug after winning the The Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Birkdale. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images It was a wild ride at the Open Championship and Ryan Fox made that clear with his clutch back nine. Fox used four birdies in his final six holes, including a clinching birdie putt on the par-4 18th hole to secure the title. It was the 39-year-old’s first ever major and becoming just the second golfer from New Zealand to win the Claret Jug since Bob Charles in 1963.
Argentina mounts great escape against England
It was a tournament filled with late goals at the 2026 World Cup, and Argentina was the main culprit. Trailing 1-0 in the depths of the match, Argentina and Lionel Messi somehow pulled it out with an outside-the-box goal from Enzo Fernández in the 85th minute and a header by Lautaro Martínez in the 92nd minute. Messi got both assists to keep Argentina’s dream run alive for the time being.
LeBron James lands with 76ers
Dec 21, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts to a question during a post game interview after the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images In potentially his last run at a championship, LeBron James made the monumental decision to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers to team up with a core that already featured Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Superstar Jaylen Brown was also acquired in the offseason to bolster Philadelphia’s chance at a championship and get James a fifth ring.
Ferran Torres nets Spain World Cup supremacy
After an enthralling tournament, just Spain and defending champions Argentina were left to play it out for the World Cup Final. After being deadlocked for an hour and 45 minutes, Ferran Torres blasted home a winner off of a beautiful Nico Williams centering header. It was all Spain nee
Sports
Wizards F Jamir Watkins recovering from ACL surgery
Apr 12, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Washington Wizards forward Jamir Watkins (5) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. (9) during the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Second-year forward Jamir Watkins could miss the 2026-27 season for the Washington Wizards after undergoing surgery to reconstruct his torn left ACL.
The Wizards said Watkins underwent surgery on Thursday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. It was performed by Dr. Riley J. Williams III, the chief of the hospital’s Sports Medicine Institute.
The 6-foot-6 Watkins was a second-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Florida State, and he signed a two-way contract with the Wizards before the 2025-26 season.
He appeared in 50 games as a rookie, starting seven. He averaged 7.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 20.6 minutes per game.
Watkins, 25, suffered the knee injury on July 9 in the Wizards’ first game of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Playing against the Utah Jazz and guarding No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson, Watkins slipped and fell to the court, clutching his left knee, at the 8:40 mark of the first game. He returned to play almost 20 total minutes but did not appear in another Summer League game.
The Wizards added 2026 No. 1 draft pick AJ Dybantsa from BYU as well as a former first overall selection, Deandre Ayton. They also will look for injury-free seasons from veterans Trae Young and Anthony Davis, acquired last season in trades.
Davis played in just 20 games last season with the Dallas Mavericks due to hand and groin injuries. He did not play with the Wizards after the trade. Young appeared in 10 games for the Atlanta Hawks and five for the Wizards, limited by lower back and right quad ailments.
–Field Level Media
Pens sign F Tommy Novak to 3-year, $13.95M extension
Top 10 Sports Moments of July: Ranking the Biggest Moments of the Month
