Sports
Drini claims Madden Bowl title with last-second field goal
Feb 4, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots at a EA Sports Madden 26 display at the Super Bowl LX media center at the Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images A last-second 52-yard field goal lifted Drini “Drini” Gjoka to a 30-27 win over Jaylen “Astro” Morrow-Reynolds in the Madden Bowl final on Friday in Redwood City, Calif.
Drini, a McKinney, Texas, resident, joins Henry “Henry” Leverette as the only two-time winners in the 10 editions of the event featuring 1-on-1 competition. Henry was also part of a three-player team that won the Madden Bowl in 2021, when a different format was used.
The latest victory was worth $250,000 and the championship ring. Astro, from Waldorf, Md., pocketed $150,000 as the runner-up.
“This is the biggest win of my life,” Drini said. “I’ve had so many big wins in my life, but this right here tops it all, I’m not going to lie. This feels so good. Like, I’m shaking in my hands. This is insane, man.”
Drini captured his first Madden Bowl crown in 2019, a year after losing in the final. He has been competing in the Madden Championship Series for eight years.
“It’s been seven years since I won my last Madden Bowl, since I won my last belt,” Drini said.
He added that he felt disrespected by those who were overlooking him.
“I’m just here to prove a point that I’m still that guy,” he said.
In the semifinals, Drini got past John “MrFootball88” Britt of San Diego 24-12, and Astro topped seeded David “DavidT” Tampellini of Patchogue, N.Y., 38-29.
Madden Bowl 26 prize pool
1. $250,000 — Drini “Drini” Gjoka
2. $150,000 — Jaylen “Astro” Morrow-Reynolds
3-4. $100,000 — John “MrFootball88” Britt, David “DavidT” Tampellini
5-8. $55,000 — Jonathan “JonBeast” Marquez, “GoatGeezy,” Peyton “Dez” Tuma, Henry “Henry” Leverette
9-14. $30,000 — “Drip,” Christian “No Mercy Lambo” Webb, “Cobo,” “Abram,” Dwayne “Cleff” Wood, “Gabagol”
Madden Bowl championship-round history, with final score and winner’s prize money
2016 — Frank “Stiff” Sardoni Jr. def. Eric “Problem” Wright 37-21; $20,000
2017 — Michael “Skimbo” Skimbo def. Eric “Problem” Wright 24-20; $100,000
2018 — Shay “Young Kiv” Kivlen def. Drini “Drini” Gjoka 28-24; $107,000
2019 — Drini “Drini” Gjoka def. Mike “Spoto” Spoto 41-0; $41,000
2020 — Raidel “Joke” Brito def. Daniel “Dcroft” Mycroft 17-0; $65,000
2021 — (3 vs. 3) Henry “Henry” Leverette/Wesley “Wesley” Gittens/Jack “NBG” Kronstein def. Jacob “Jwall” Wallack/Jacob “Fancy” Worthington/Joshua “DatBoi” Wright 31-3; $150,000
2022 — Henry “Henry” Leverette def. Wesley “Wesley” Gittens 35-31; $250,000
2023 — Peyton “Dez” Tuma def. Henry “Henry” Leverette 24-21; $250,000
2024 — Henry “Henry” Leverette def. Wesley “Wesley” Gittens 35-24; $250,000
2025 — Jacob “Fancy” Worthington def. Jonathan “JonBeast” Marquez 31-28; $250,000
2026 — Drini “Drini” Gjoka def. Jaylen “Astro” Morrow-Reynolds; $250,000
–Field Level Media
Sports
Union edge CF Montreal, end 6-game losing streak
Apr 11, 2026; Montreal, Province of Quebec, CAN; CF Montreal defender Dagur Thorhallsson (17) defends against Philadelphia Union defender Japhet Sery (5) during the first half at Saputo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images Jesus Bueno scored the tiebreaking goal in the 70th minute, and the visiting Philadelphia Union earned a 2-1 victory over CF Montreal to snap a season-opening six-game losing streak on Saturday afternoon.
Philadelphia (1-6-0, 3 points) ended its worst skid to open a season since going 0-4-4 to start the 2017 season.
The Union took their first lead of the season when Bueno scored a minute after Bruno Damiani’s right-footed shot was stopped by Thomas Gillier. Following a throw-in, Bueno took a pass from Ezekiel Alladoh following a throw-in by Nathan Harriel.
Bueno charged in through the middle of the field, eluded Montreal’s Dawid Bugaj and finished it with a right-footed shot from the right side of the box that landed in the lower left corner of the net.
Bueno scored his fifth career MLS goal, and the clutch tally occurred 15 minutes after Japhet Sery Larsen tied it with a header. Larsen evened the score by flicking it in with a header off a set piece after Bueno was fouled by Montreal’s Fabian Herbers a minute earlier.
After the goals, Philadelphia controlled the final minutes and held on after Olger Escobar’s free kick sailed long on the final play following a yellow card by Jovan Lukic.
Ivan Jaime had given Montreal the lead by finishing a 2-on-1 with Prince Owusu in the 23rd minute. On a counterattack, he got a pass from Efrain Morales at midfield, faked a shot with a left foot as defender Olwethu Makhanya fell down, and flicked a shot from the center of the box into the bottom right corner.
Philadelphia goalie Andre Blake made four saves.
Hillier finished with three saves as Philadelphia finished 15 shot attempts.
Montreal (1-6-0, 3 points) played its home opener after losing five of its first six matches. Montreal is off to a slow start for the second straight season after opening 2025 with an 11-game winless streak (0-8-3).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dallas Fuel reach grand final of OWCS NA Stage 1 playoffs
Dallas Fuel downed Spacestation Gaming 3-1 on Saturday to advance to the grand final of the Overwatch Champions Series’ North America Stage 1 playoffs.
Spacestation Gaming dropped to the lower-bracket final in the double-elimination playoffs on Sunday against Team Liquid, with the winner advancing to the grand final against Dallas Fuel later in the day.
Team Liquid stayed alive on Saturday by blanking LuneX Gaming 3-0 in the lower-bracket semifinal.
The Overwatch 2 online competition, with a prize pool of $75,000, began with six teams playing a regular season with a round-robin format.
The top four teams advanced to the regional playoffs, and all sealed berths in North America Stage 2. All playoff matches are first-to-three except for the grand final, which is first-to-four.
The championship team will receive $30,000, the runner-up $15,000, with both teams receiving berths in the OCS Champions Clash, scheduled for May 22-24 in Tokyo.
Dallas Fuel opened the best-of-five on Saturday with a 2-0 win on Busan Control before Spacestation Gaming earned a 3-3 draw on Numbani Hybrid. Dallas came through with a 2-1 victory on Watchpoint: Gibraltor Escort, then lost 3-1 on Aatlis Flashpoint.
In the decisive final map, Dallas won on Esperanca Push, 87.01 meters to 47.24 meters.
Team Liquid swept LuneX Gaming 2-0 on Lijang Tower Control, 4-3 on Havana Escort and 144.4m to 62.39m on Runasapi Push.
Overwatch Champions Series’ North America Stage 1 prize pool
1. $30,000, qualifies for Champions Clash, NA Stage 2
2. $15,000, qualifies for Champions Clash, NA Stage 2
3. $12,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2
4. $8,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2 — LuneX Gaming
5-6. Extinction, Disguised — $5,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2 promotion/relegation
–Field Level Media
Sports
Timo Baumgartl scores in 61st minute as St. Louis City tie FC Dallas
Apr 11, 2026; Frisco, Texas, USA; St. Louis CITY SC forward Simon Becher (11) dribbles the ball as FC Dallas defender Osaze Urhoghide (3) defends during the first half at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Timo Baumgartl’s 61st-minute goal negated Louicius Deedson’s opener as visiting St. Louis City SC earned a 1-1 draw against FC Dallas.
The equalizer was the first goal in four matches at Toyota Stadium for St. Louis (1-3-3, 6 points), which has gone 1-0-2 in its last three matches after getting shut out in three straight.
Dallas (3-1-3, 12 points) is now unbeaten (2-0-2) in its last four matches and has outscored St. Louis, 8-1, in those four home matches.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in the opening 45 minutes, despite chances from both sides. St. Louis’ Marcel Hartel had two chances himself early on.
He took the ball down to the end line in the third minute and sent it across the goal mouth, but there was nobody home to tap it in. Then, in the 21st minute, Hartel took the ball down the left side into the box and tried to beat Michael Collodi to the near post, but Dallas’ goalkeeper turned it aside.
In the 30th minute, Conrad Wallem just missed connecting with Sergio Cordova, which would have left the St. Louis attacker alone in the middle.
Dallas’ Kaick, who came on for his injured Brazilian countryman Ramiro in the 36th minute, was high on a header three minutes later off a cross into the box from Deedson.
Petar Musa, who came into the match tied for the MLS lead with seven goals, was quiet for most of the first half, but he came alive late.
He was called offside on an attempt that hit the post in the third minute of extra time, and then, one minute later, he took a pass from Logan Farrington into the box and forced a save from St. Louis goalkeeper Roman Burki, who had two saves.
Musa played a role in Dallas’ goal three minutes into the second half. He intercepted a St. Louis pass and freed up Deedson on the left side, and the Haitian International finished for his first goal of the season.
The assist was Musa’s first of the season, and the goal stood up for 20 minutes. St. Louis’ Daniel Edelman sent a ball to the far post, where two teammates ran onto it. Baumgartl got in first and finished Edelman’s cross with a right-footed shot from close range.
Burki and Collodi, who had four saves, denied late winners off attempts from both attacking sides to preserve the draw.
–Field Level Media
Union edge CF Montreal, end 6-game losing streak
Dallas Fuel reach grand final of OWCS NA Stage 1 playoffs
