Sports
Despite Ebola outbreak, DR Congo prepares for World Cup
May 14, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; The FIFA World Cup trophy on display before a game between the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs in The Battery Atlanta at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s soccer team is attempting to navigate through a national Ebola outbreak in its preparations for the World Cup, though the squad still expects to compete in North America this summer.
FIFA issued a statement that “it is aware of and monitoring the situation regarding an Ebola outbreak and is in close communication with the Congo DR Football Association to ensure that the team are made aware of all medical and security guidance.
“FIFA continues to work with all three FIFA World Cup 2026 host countries’ governments, including the US Department of State, CDC and Department of Homeland Security, Mexico’s Secretariat of Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as with the World Health Organization, to ensure a safe and secure tournament, as the health of all individuals involved remains FIFA’s priority.”
DR Congo scrapped a planned training camp that was due to be held in the capital of Kinshasa this coming Sunday.
“Our team’s preparation program is proceeding as planned in Europe and Houston,” a DR Congo spokesperson told Politico.com. “It is the Kinshasa leg that has been cancelled due to health restrictions.”
The DR Congo team is due to make Houston its North American base during the summer, with its opening Group K game scheduled in that city on June 17 against Portugal. DR Congo’s other group games will be on June 23 against Colombia in Zapopan, Mexico, and on June 27 against Uzbekistan in Atlanta.
The president of Houston’s World Cup host committee, Chris Canetti, told USA Today, “As you can imagine, we are taking advisement from FIFA and health officials on this. As of now, there are no change in plans. The team arrival date is scheduled for June 11.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday paused entry to the country for 30 days by people who have recently visited the sites of the Ebola outbreak: DR Congo, Uganda and South Sudan.
Satish Pillai, incident manager for CDC’s Ebola response, said Tuesday, according to Politico.com, “We’re actively working with FIFA to ensure that there is safe traveling, safe passage, and ensuring that travelers and the American public remain safe throughout.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Carmen Mlodzinski gets plenty of support as Pirates shut out Cardinals
May 20, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski (50) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images The Pittsburgh Pirates got a home run from Spencer Horwitz as they emphatically snapped their four-game losing streak with a 7-0 win over the host St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night.
Carmen Mlodzinski (3-3) threw five scoreless innings for Pittsburgh, which outhit the Cardinals 15-5. Four relievers completed the shutout. Rookie Konnor Griffin led the way for the Pirates offensively with a 4-for-5 night and three runs scored.
There was also a milestone moment for Pirates center fielder Jhostynxon Garcia, who recorded his first career RBI in the win. Garcia was making only his second start for Pittsburgh after being called up on Tuesday.
JJ Wetherholt went 2-for-4 at the top of the St. Louis order and Victor Scott II hit a double.
Mlodzinski worked around a single and a walk to strand two on base in the first inning. The Pirates struck first in the top of the second with Horwitz’s fourth home run of the season.
Pittsburgh mounted a two-out rally in the fourth to extend its lead. After Griffin reached on his first of two infield singles and Endy Rodriguez walked, Garcia’s RBI single doubled the Pirates’ advantage.
Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy (3-3) was chased after loading the bases without recording an out on three consecutive singles in the sixth. Justin Bruihl came on in relief and got out of the jam, but not without allowing Pittsburgh to add on with Nick Gonzales’ sacrifice fly.
McGreevy finished with three runs allowed in five-plus innings. The right-hander struggled to miss bats, allowing 10 hits and striking out only one hitter.
St. Louis also loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth, but Yohan Ramirez struck out Masyn Winn, and Jake Mangum made a sliding grab at the wall in right to rob Cesar Prieto of extra bases and keep the shutout intact.
The result was put beyond doubt when Pittsburgh put up four runs off Matt Svanson in the eighth. Mangum and Gonzales hit RBI singles before Bryan Reynolds blew open the inning with a two-run double.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Second-period surge leads Knights past Avalanche in West finals opener
May 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) scores past Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (41) during the second period in game one of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images DENVER — Dylan Coghlan and Pavel Dorofeyev scored 2:33 apart in the second period, Carter Hart made 36 saves, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Wednesday.
Brett Howton also had a goal and Nic Dowd scored into an empty net for Vegas, which grabbed home-ice advantage from the Presidents’ Trophy winners.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series will be played Friday night in Denver.
Valeri Nichushkin and Gabriel Landeskog scored while Scott Wedgewood turned away 24 shots for Colorado, which trails in a series for the first time in this postseason.
Vegas captain Mark Stone (lower-body injury) and Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (upper body) were scratched.
Both teams had chances in a scoreless first period. Keegan Kolesar nearly gave the Golden Knights the lead on a partial breakaway early on. Logan O’Connor hit the post for the Avalanche, and Hart made a save on Nazem Kadri in the waning seconds of the period.
Vegas finally broke through at 12:29 of the second period. Brandon Saad sent a pass to Coghlan in the slot, and Coghlan’s wrister beat Wedgewood through the pads for his first goal of the postseason.
Colorado’s Ross Colton took a roughing penalty less than two minutes later, and the Golden Knights took advantage. Mitch Marner stretched out with the puck and whipped a pass to Dorofeyev coming down the right side. Dorofeyev sent a one-timer to the short side past at 15:02, his 10th goal of the playoffs.
Vegas made it 3-0 early in the third after killing off a Colorado power play. Howden knocked down the rebound of Ben Hutton’s shot with his glove and tapped the puck by Wedgewood at 1:34.
The Avalanche answered at 5:53 when Nichushkin redirected Colton’s pass beyond Hart.
Wedgewood came off when Colorado went on the power play at 16:52, and Landeskog cut the deficit to one at 17:39.
The Avalanche pulled Wedgwood again, but Dowd sealed it into an empty net at 19:15.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ed Orgeron joins Lane Kiffin staff, reunites with LSU
Nov 27, 2021; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron looks on during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images LSU reached an agreement with Ed Orgeron on Wednesday to join Lane Kiffin’s current staff in Baton Rouge, reuniting the school with its former head football coach.
Orgeron, 64, will be serving as a special assistant to recruiting and defense, per the school’s social media.
The 2019 national championship-winning coach spent five seasons as the head man for LSU and was a popular figure as a Louisiana native who won 51 games and went 4-1 in bowl games.
Eventually, the wins stopped coming and Orgeron was run out following back-to-back .500 seasons in 2020 and 2021.
Before that, he guided the Tigers to one of their greatest seasons in history, helming a dominant team headlined by Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase to a 15-0 record and two dominant wins in the playoffs.
Kiffin, LSU’s new head coach, was Orgeron’s boss at previous stops at Tennessee (2009) and USC (2010-13). Orgeron ultimately succeeded Kiffin at USC, becoming the interim coach to close out the 2013 season. The two previously coached together as assistant coaches at USC from 2001-04.
Orgeron also preceded Kiffin as the head coach at Ole Miss, going 10-25 there from 2005-07.
Kiffin closed his Ole Miss tenure 55-19, with a playoff berth last season.
–Field Level Media
Carmen Mlodzinski gets plenty of support as Pirates shut out Cardinals
Second-period surge leads Knights past Avalanche in West finals opener
