Sports
Fire earns road win as Union stays in Eastern Conference basement
Mar 21, 2026; Chester, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Union forward Bruno Damiani (9) is tripped up by Chicago Fire defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi (4) while going for the ball during the first half at Subaru Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Jonathan Bamba scored his second goal early in the second half and the visiting Chicago Fire earned a 2-1 victory on Saturday against struggling Philadelphia Union.
Hugo Cuypers added his fourth goal late in the first half for the Fire (2-2-1, 7 points) who earned their first away victory of the season after leading the Eastern Conference with nine in 2025.
Chris Brady made three saves as Chicago avenged its elimination by Philadelphia in last year’s first-round playoff series and snapped a four-match winless run against the Union in all competitions.
Milan Iloski scored his first goal for Philadelphia just before halftime. But the Union (0-5-0, 0 points) extended the worst start for a reigning Supporters’ Shield holder, less than 72 hours after their elimination from the CONCACAF Champions Cup with a 1-1 draw at Mexico City’s Club America and a 2-1 aggregate defeat.
Bamba put Chicago in front in the 58th minute.
From near midfield, Cuypers spotted Robin Lod down the right. Lod eventually dribbled into the right edge of the penalty area on his right foot, before cutting back onto his left to cross.
With Cuyper in the center of the box, the cross sailed beyond just him, where Bamba connected with an excellent side-footed volley to beat Andre Blake inside the left post.
Philadelphia pressured for an equalizer, but Chicago came closest to scoring the game’s fourth goal. Maren Haile-Selassie missed narrowly wide on the break in the 63rd minute, then Lod rattled the crossbar from a similar attack in the 82nd.
Both teams scored during the more than seven minutes of first-half stoppage time.
First, it was Chicago through Cuypers.
Lod’s initial pass was deflected out wide, where Andrew Gutman reached it on the left flank.
Gutman drove forward and curled in an outswinging, left-footed cross. Cuypers ran between Philadelphia’s center backs to meet it with a powerful header past Blake from six yards out.
Philadelphia leveled from a long throw-in four minutes later. Alejandro Bedoya flicked on Frankie Westfield’s throw from the right, then Iloski won the second ball as he somehow generated enough power to loop his header over Brady and under the crossbar from near the penalty spot.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lionel Messi scores as Inter Miami rally past NYCFC
Mar 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York City FC midfielder Keaton Parks (55) and New York City FC midfielder Maximiliano Moralez (10) fight for the ball challenged by Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) during the first half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images Micael Dos Santos’ go-ahead goal in the 74th minute lifted Inter Miami to a 3-2 comeback victory over host New York City FC on Sunday afternoon.
Dos Santos headed home a beautiful ball from fellow defender Noah Allen, which found its way past NYCFC keeper Matt Freese and gave Inter Miami (3-1-1, 10 points) its first MLS win since March 7.
Lionel Messi scored his 901st career goal and Gonzalo Lujan scored his first career MLS goal for Inter Miami, which bounced back after being eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Wednesday after a pair of draws against Nashville and that side advancing on the away goals tiebreaker.
NYCFC (3-1-1, 10 points) suffered its first defeat of the season and snapped a three-game winning streak despite goals from Nicolas Fernandez Mercau and Agustin Ojeda.
Maxi Moralez delivered his own stellar assist to Ojeda in the 59th minute to put NYCFC briefly ahead 2-1.
Moralez sent a great ball through traffic down the middle of the field to Ojeda, who was uncontested, and flipped the ball past Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.
But two minutes later, Inter Miami earned a free kick and Messi delivered. His shot deflected off NYCFC’s Hannes Wolf and redirected past Freese (five saves) to tie the game at 2.
Messi nearly had a multi-goal match as he came close on several chances. He hit the post in the 31st minute and the crossbar in the 42nd minute. He also had a late opportunity to pad Miami’s lead but missed wide.
German Berterame appeared to extend Miami’s lead in the 79th minute, but what would have been his first goal with his new club was nullified after he was ruled offside.
After Lujan scored in the fourth minute, NYCFC leveled the match on a fantastic free kick goal by Fernandez Mercau, who lifted a high shot that bounced just under the crossbar and in, freezing St. Clair in place in the 17th minute.
NYCFC used Moralez as a decoy, having him approach as if he would take the shot and then Fernandez Mercau ran up and booted it.
St. Clair (three saves) made a huge save late in stoppage time to preserve Inter Miami’s win.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Women's NCAA roundup: North Carolina, Michigan advance to Sweet 16
Mar 7, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Elina Aarnisalo (17) shoots against the Louisville Cardinals in the second quarter at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Elina Aarnisalo poured in 21 points — one shy of her career high — and Lanie Grant had 20 points as North Carolina pulled out a 74-66 victory against Maryland in the Fort Worth Region 1 second-round game Sunday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Fourth-seeded North Carolina (28-7) goes to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row. The Tar Heels will take on Monday’s Syracuse-Connecticut winner later in the week in Fort Worth, Texas.
Nyla Harris had 14 points and eight rebounds for the Tar Heels while Indya Nivar shrugged off foul trouble to finish with 11 points.
Oluchi Okananwa racked up 21 points for fifth-seeded Maryland (24-9), but she was just 3-for-11 on free throws. Addi Mack had 13 points, Mir McLean supplied 12 points and 14 rebounds and Kyndal Walker notched 10 points.
The Terrapins shot 3-for-23 from 3-point range and 17 of 31 at the line, so even collecting 21 offensive rebounds wasn’t enough.
North Carolina led 42-33 at halftime, but Maryland scored the first basket of the fourth quarter to claim a 52-50 lead.
No. 2 Michigan 92, No. 7 NC State 63
Olivia Olson had 27 points and Syla Swords pumped in 26 points as the second-seeded Wolverines benefited from a huge second half to pull away in the Fort Worth Region 3 second-round game at Ann Arbor, Mich.
Mila Holloway contributed 13 points and nine rebounds for Michigan (27-6), which faces the winner of Monday’s Alabama-Louisville game later in the week.
Zamareya Jones recorded 16 points, nine assists and four blocks for NC State (21-11), which she also committed seven of the Wolfpack’s 22 turnovers that Michigan turned into 35 points. Khamil Pierre added 15 points for NC State and Devyn Quigley notched 11 points.
NC State played without All-Atlantic Coast Conference guard Zoe Brooks, who was out with a lower-body injury. The Wolfpack were denied a third consecutive spot in the Sweet 16.
Michigan led 28-25 at halftime before cranking out 32 points in both the third and fourth quarters.
Swords finished with four of Michigan’s 10 baskets from 3-point range. The Wolverines committed only six turnovers.
Michigan won for the 16th time in 17 home games this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Avalanche beat Capitals in OT to clinch playoff spot
Mar 22, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) battles for the puck with Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) in front of Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson (48) during the second period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images Brock Nelson scored the game-winning goal at 1:22 of overtime as the Colorado Avalanche rallied for a 3-2 victory against the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Nelson won the game for the Avalanche (46-13-10, 102) when Martin Necas set him up for a slap shot past Logan Thompson.
Gabriel Landeskog and Nicolas Roy also found the back of the net for Colorado, which is the first team to secure a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Necas had two assists, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 20 saves.
The win was the second straight for the Avalanche after a stretch in which they won just one of five games.
Alex Ovechkin and Justin Sourdif scored, and Thompson made 21 saves for the Capitals (35-28-8, 78), who had previously won two straight games and three of their last four.
Sourdif put Washington ahead 1-0 at 11:53 of the first period. The 23-year-old center caught the bouncing puck on a breakaway and beat Blackwood with a snap shot.
Landeskog tied it 1-1 at 1:05 of the third period. Thompson was caught out of position when Necas set Landeskog up from behind the net for an uncontested snap shot.
Colorado went ahead 2-1 at 6:03 when Roy collected his own rebound and scored shortside on Thompson.
Ovechkin tied the game back up 2-2 at 14:17 with a slap shot on the power play.
The Avalanche are part of the playoff field for the ninth straight season. They were Stanley Cup champions in 2021-22.
Washington is on the outside of the Eastern Conference wild-card race.
–Field Level Media
Lionel Messi scores as Inter Miami rally past NYCFC
Women's NCAA roundup: North Carolina, Michigan advance to Sweet 16
