Sports
Alejandro Alvarado goal helps San Diego edge Dallas
Jul 25, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego FC midfield Alejandro Alvarado (70) scores a goal during the second half against the FC Dallas at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images Alejandro Alvarado scored his first MLS goal in the 50th minute and San Diego FC made it hold up for a 1-0 victory over visiting FC Dallas on Saturday night.
CJ dos Santos was called on to make just one save while recording his first shutout of the season for San Diego FC (5-7-5, 20 points).
Jonathan Sirois made four saves for Dallas (7-5-5, 26 points) after replacing injured starter Daniel, who had three stops.
San Diego FC held possession nearly 70% of the match to improve to 3-0-1 against FC Dallas in their two-season history.
Alvarado had the ball from beyond the box early in the second half and unleashed a long right-footed shot into the right corner of the net to break a scoreless tie.
Two minutes later, FC Dallas put its only shot on target but Petar Musa’s close-range header was saved by dos Santos.
Omni Valakari had a solid chance for San Diego in the 59th minute, but his left-footed shot caromed off the right goalpost.
Anderson Julio of Dallas broke in toward the net in hopes of receiving the ball in the 72th minute and dos Santos came out to break up the play. That left Santiago Moreno with an open net to shoot at, but he chipped his right-footed attempt over the net.
San Diego almost gifted FC Dallas the tying goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.
Manu Duah made an errant pass back into the midfield and gave Dallas’ Logan Farrington a chance to dash in toward dos Santos. But Duah sprinted back toward the San Diego net and he was able to get his foot in and block Farrington’s right-footed shot to thwart the opportunity.
One minute later, the match was called.
San Diego outshot Dallas 19-7 and held an 8-1 edge in shots on target.
Dallas lost Daniel after he made a point-black save in the 16th minute on Valakari.
Daniel’s right leg bent awkwardly as he stretched to stymie Valakari and he remained down in pain. Trainers eventually helped him walk off the field and Sirois entered as the new goalie in the 19th minute.
San Diego outshot Dallas 13-2 in the first half but couldn’t find the back of the net.
Marcus Ingvartsen had a big opportunity in the 32nd minute, but his close-range right-footed shot was stopped by Sirois.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Defenses rule as Minnesota United, Whitecaps play to scoreless draw
Jul 25, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota United FC midfielder Wil Trapp (20) and Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Oliver Larraz (8) battle for the ball during the first half at Allianz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Minnesota United goalkeeper Drake Callender made five saves in a 0-0 draw with the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night at Saint Paul, Minn.
The performance was a big upgrade for the United, who were blown out by Vancouver earlier this season.
Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka stopped three shots, but the Whitecaps (10-3-3, 33 points) remained winless in two matches since returning to action this month.
Even though there was improvement, Minnesota (6-6-5, 23 points) had its winless streak grow to six matches (0-3-3).
United forward Mamadou Dieng compiled a match-high three shots on goal.
Despite a nice advantage in possession for the Whitecaps (60.3%), they weren’t crisp and that cost them repeatedly when they were attempting to push forward.
Each team produced two shots on goal in the scoreless first half. Later, there were rushes for both teams in the added time, but nothing that mounted to a breakthrough. Vancouver finished with 11 shots, five on target, to 10 and 3 for Minnesota.
The Whitecaps, who dropped Wednesday’s outing at Cincinnati by 4-3 following the layoff for the World Cup, have been shut out in two of their last four matches.
The Whitecaps drubbed visiting Minnesota 6-0 in March.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jonquel Jones leads Team Spoon to All-Star Game defeat of Team Coop
Jul 25, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Team Spoon forward Nneka Ogwumike (30) celebrates with center Jonquel Jones (35) in the first half during the 2026 WNBA All Star Game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images Jonquel Jones had 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists and Olivia Miles added 11 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists to boost Team Spoon to a 129-122 victory against Team Coop on Saturday in the WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago.
Jones, a star with the New York Liberty, garnered MVP honors, helping outpace a 28-point effort from Kelsey Mitchell of Team Coop.
Allisha Gray (19 points), Caitlin Clark (17), A’ja Wilson (12), Courtney Williams (12), Nneka Ogwumike (11) and Kiki Iriafen (10) also scored in double figures for Team Spoon.
Marina Mabrey added 23 points for Team Coop. Gabby Williams chipped in 18 points, while Paige Bueckers and Dominique Malonga had 12 each. Malonga added 13 rebounds for a double-double while Breanna Stewart (six points) also had 13 boards.
A league All Star Game-record 19,783 fans attended the game at the United Center, home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls.
That more than doubled the attendance when Chicago hosted the annual midseason showcase in 2022. A crowd of 9,572 looked on at Wintrust Arena, where the Chicago Sky play their home games.
With the WNBA saluting its 30th anniversary season, Hall of Famers Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon drafted the teams and served as general managers. They also were part of a rotating contingent that was “mic’d up” during an interactive broadcast on ABC.
Minnesota Lynx bench boss Cheryl Reeve coached Team Spoon while Becky Hammon, coach of the reigning league champion Las Vegas Aces, guided Team Coop.
Team Spoon rolled to an 81-64 advantage at the half behind 55.7% shooting compared to 42.6% for Team Coop. The teams combined for 24 makes from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes, with Mabrey (five) edging Clark (four) for the most treys before the break.
Mabrey, who entered the All-Star break as the league leader in made 3s with 82, led all scorers with 23 first-half points. Still, Malonga provided arguably the most memorable first-half basket with a dunk off a pass from Angel Reese with 6:24 to play in the second quarter.
It marked the first dunk in an All-Star Game since Sylvia Fowles in 2022.
Skylar Diggins remains the only player to record an All-Star triple-double, accomplishing the feat last season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mateusz Bogusz brace carries Dynamo past Austin FC
Jul 25, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Dynamo FC midfielder Mateusz Bogusz (19) celebrates after scoring a goal during the first half against the Austin FC at Shell Energy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Mateusz Bogusz had two easy goals in the first 29 minutes and Guilherme Santos had a goal and two assists in a dominating first half as the host Houston Dynamo swamped Austin FC 3-0 on Saturday in a clash between Copa Tejas rivals.
The Dynamo (8-6-2, 26 points) extended their home unbeaten streak to five matches (4-0-1) and earned a split in the season series with Austin FC. Houston is 4-1-2 since a 2-0 loss in Austin to the Verde on April 25.
Jonathan Bond saved five shots to earn his fourth clean sheet of the MLS campaign for the Dynamo.
Austin (4-8-5, 17 points) remains the only MLS team without a road victory this season and has dropped four of its last five contests to the Dynamo away from home. The Verde have won just once in their past six matches (1-4-1) and followed up a stirring 3-1 home win over Seattle on Wednesday by laying an egg against their Lone Star State counterparts.
Houston swept to the front with a stunning trifecta of goals in the first 32 minutes. After Austin pressed the action in the early going, the Dynamo burned the visitors via the counterattack when Bogusz was the beneficiary of passes from Guilherme and Ezequiel Ponce and opened the ledger with a goal in the 12th minute.
Bogusz waited on the doorstep to the right of Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver for the pretty give-and-go sequence that found him wide open for the easy tally and a 1-0 Houston lead.
Bogusz then scored again in the 29th minute, outsprinting two Austin defenders for a long clearing pass from Guilherme before unleashing a right-footed shot to the bottom left corner that Stuver had no chance to save.
The Dynamo continued their onslaught in the 32nd minute as Guilherme scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season after assists from Agustin Bouzat and Felipe Andrade.
That tally was again produced on the counterattack as Bouzat drove his pass deep and high over the Austin defense for Houston’s dynamic star to run under before hitting a shot that Stuver could only watch bounce into the bottom right corner.
The Verde made a tepid attempt to respond over the final 15 minutes of the first half, with Przemyslaw Placheta testing Bond and then Brandon Vazquez producing a pair of low-percentage shots that the Houston keeper gobbled up.
Austin did little to cut into the deficit after halftime.
–Field Level Media
Defenses rule as Minnesota United, Whitecaps play to scoreless draw
Jonquel Jones leads Team Spoon to All-Star Game defeat of Team Coop
