Sports
Austin FC set for upgrade on offense vs. St. Louis City
Apr 18, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Austin FC forward Myrto Uzuni (10) shoots against Toronto FC during the first half at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images Austin FC hopes a bolstered roster and a huge win against a Texas rival builds momentum as they host struggling St. Louis City SC on Sunday evening in a Western Conference match.
Austin FC (2-4-4, 10 points) remain home after a 2-0 win over the rival Houston Dynamo on last Saturday. Myrto Uzuni scored a goal and assisted on a tally by Jayden Nelson in the Copa Tejas series victory.
Austin snapped a seven-match MLS winless swoon dating back to a 1-0 home victory over D.C. United on March 1.
Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver stopped five shots to record his third clean sheet of the year just three days after he allowed five goals on 16 shots in a loss at San Jose.
The Verde is set for an offensive jolt with midfielder Owen Wolff set to return, even if it’s in a reserve role. Wolff, who led Austin FC last season with seven goals and eight assists, has missed the team’s first 10 games while recovering from a sports hernia but is available to return against St. Louis.
“Now that we can have probably the full roster, for the first time in the year, in the next weeks, I think everyone gets excited and everyone says, ‘Now is the moment,'” Austin coach Nico Estevez said. “I want to give a lot of credit to the players. It’s been a really tough time for everyone.”
St. Louis City (1-5-3, 6 points) travels to Austin after 3-2 loss at home against league-leading San Jose on April 25. The club went winless in league play in April, losing twice with a pair of draws, both on the road.
St. Louis City heads to Texas after a 2-1 come-from-behind win over the Chicago Fire in U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 play on Wednesday. St. Louis coach Yoann Damet believes the victory will provide benefits in upcoming MLS play.
“Honestly, I like the grit and the spirit they’re showing. I’ve been speaking a lot about it, and we haven’t been rewarded enough, in my sense,” Damet said. “I think it speaks for the work the guys are putting in every day. Everybody worked really hard together, they made plays. It’s a collective effort, it’s a team, it’s a full group, and that’s what makes me happy.”
St. Louis’s nine goals through nine MLS matches is tied for second fewest in league while its minus-seven goal differential is second worst in the West. Marcel Hartel leads the club with three goals and an assist.
St. Louis City has dominated the all-time series with the Austin FC, with four wins and a draw in six meetings during MLS play.
–Field Level Media
Sports
NFL: Miami no longer meets Super Bowl site requirements
Jan 20, 2026; Miami, FL, USA; A general overall aerial view of Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins and site of the 2026 CFP Championship playoff game. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Miami has dropped out of the Super Bowl hosting rotation because Hard Rock Stadium no longer meets the NFL’s site requirements, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said this week.
Miami has hosted 11 Super Bowls, tied for the record with New Orleans, but none since Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV on Feb. 2, 2020.
The 38-year-old venue also hosted the Super Bowl in 1989, 1995, 1999, 2007 and 2010. Before that, Miami held Super Bowls at the Orange Bowl in 1968, 1969, 1971, 1976 and 1979.
“We normally have one every five years,” Ross told the South Florida Business Journal. “Miami is not really in line for one. It’s always exciting to have the Super Bowl but that was before we had all the other events. Miami has by far the best weather. It’s in their best interest to have one here but at this point they don’t believe we meet all the requirements and the demands.”
Because the stadium added infrastructure on the property to host the Miami Open tennis tournament and a Formula 1 race every year, there is limited space on site for Super Bowl hospitality events.
“We are looking at how to make improvements,” Ross said. “I want to make the stadium always feel like a new stadium (and) we are looking at what the next phase will be and making the fan experience that much better.”
The next three Super Bowls are scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, Calif.) in 2027, Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) in 2028 and Allegiant Stadium (Paradise, Nev.).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mets C Luis Torrens gets 2-year extension reportedly worth $11.5M
Apr 9, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets catcher Luis Torrens (13) reaches for the ball during the seventh inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images New York Mets catcher Luis Torrens celebrated his 30th birthday on Saturday with a nice payday.
The Mets announced a contract extension with Torrens for the 2027 and 2028 seasons, which multiple outlets reported is worth $11.5 million.
A backup catcher in his ninth season, Torrens is batting .200 with two doubles and four RBIs in 13 games this season, his third with the Mets. He is earning $2.275 million for 2026.
Known for his defense, Torrens is a career .226 hitter with 27 homers and 127 RBIs in 421 games with the San Diego Padres (2017, 2019-20), Seattle Mariners (2020-23), Chicago Cubs (2023) and Mets.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Visiting D.C. United short-handed for clash with NYCFC
Aug 23, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; New York City FC midfielder Nicolas Fernandez Mercau (7) dribbles during the second half against FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar-Imagn Images Short-handed D.C. United will try to build off last weekend’s dramatic home win on Sunday when they visit a New York City side hoping to ride momentum from a midweek U.S. Open Cup victory over their crosstown rival.
After a slow start, the attack for D.C. (3-4-3, 12 points) has suddenly erupted with seven goals in its last two matches.
In a 4-4 draw at the New York Red Bulls on April 22, Tai Baribo scored a hat trick for his fourth, fifth and sixth league goals. Then last Saturday, Louis Munteanu scored his first goal for the club in the 84th minute and Kye Rowles had the 90th-minute winner as the Black-and-Red rallied for a 3-2 home win over Orlando.
But Baribo will miss a second straight match with an injury, manager Rene Weiler confirmed this week. And one of the candidates to replace him, Brazilian attacker Gabriel Pirani, has played his way out of consideration, Weiler said.
“He’s playing for himself instead of the team, and I dislike,” Weiler told reporters. “And I can’t see the joy in his face in the identification of our club. So he will not be in the team.”
The victory against Orlando halted a five-match league winless run for D.C. in its first full season under Weiler. Now it visits an NYCFC squad mired in a similar six-match MLS slide, with City’s last league win coming on March 14 at home against Colorado.
But Pascal Jansen’s squad earned a decisive 3-1 win at the Red Bulls in Wednesday’s Open Cup Round of 16 clash, with Raul Gustavo scoring the winner in the 39th minute and Thiago Martins adding insurance in the 57th minute.
Nicolas Fernandez Mercau leads NYCFC (3-4-3, 12 points) with eight league goals, including two in a 4-4 home draw against FC Cincinnati on April 22.
And given their current form, Jansen isn’t about to feel sad that his side will likely have their top scorer while his opponent won’t.
“Obviously a massive piece for them. An important player,” Jansen said of Baribo’s absence. “We’re coming out of a good game against Red Bull, and now the focus is on D.C., and they’re missing one of their key players. That’s tough for them, but good news for us.”
The two sides have split their last four head-to-head matches, including a pair of draws.
–Field Level Media
NFL: Miami no longer meets Super Bowl site requirements
Mets C Luis Torrens gets 2-year extension reportedly worth $11.5M
