Sports
Former Penguins get revenge vs. old team, lead Wild to victory
Oct 29, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Wild center Jakub Lauko (94) celebrates his goal with the Wild bench against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Frederick Gaudreau scored two goals and Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves against their former team, lifting the visiting Minnesota Wild to a 5-3 victory over the reeling Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
Gaudreau played in 19 games with the Penguins during the 2020-21 season while Fleury competed presumably in his last trip to Pittsburgh, where he spent his first 13 NHL seasons after the Penguins selected him with the top overall pick of the 2003 draft. Fleury, 39, announced that he is retiring at the end of the season.
A three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Penguins, Fleury was cheered for by the fans at PPG Paints Arena after being named the first star of the game.
Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov scored into an empty net and notched a pair of assists to extend his multi-point streak to a franchise-high-tying six games. Mats Zuccarello also recorded multi-point performances in six straight games in 2021-22.
Jakub Lauko and Zuccarello also scored, and Wild captain Jared Spurgeon finished with a plus-two rating in his return from a six-game absence due to a lower-body injury.
Pittsburgh’s Rickard Rakell scored two goals, Valtteri Puustinen also scored and Sidney Crosby notched three assists. Joel Blomqvist turned aside 34 shots for the Penguins, who have lost six in a row (0-5-1).
Rakell’s turnaround shot from the slot gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead with 4:29 remaining in the first period before Minnesota responded with a flourish.
Lauko’s sharp-angle shot from just inside the goal line slipped past Blomqvist to halve the deficit at 17:03 before Gaudreau chipped the puck under the crossbar to forge a 2-2 tie.
The Wild took advantage of a Penguins turnover in the offensive end, resulting in Gaudreau coming off the bench for a partial breakaway. Gaudreau skated in and beat Blomqvist inside the right post for his second goal of the game at 1:38 of the second period.
Kaprizov collected the puck in the right circle and alertly found Zuccarello at the back post for an easy conversion. Zuccarello’s fifth goal of the season gave Minnesota a 4-2 lead with 37 seconds remaining in the second period.
Rakell’s deflection in front of the net resulted in his sixth goal of the season at 3:36 of the third period, but Pittsburgh failed to net the equalizer.
–Field Level Media
Sports
MLS to investigate Inter Miami over Casemiro signing
June 29, 2026; Houston, Texas, U.S.; Brazil’s Casemiro celebrates after the match. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Major League Soccer has announced a review into a tampering allegation against Inter Miami in the signing of Brazilian superstar midfielder Casemiro on Wednesday.
“The league is gathering all relevant information and will refrain from further comment until the review is complete,” MLS said in a statement.
Casemiro, 34, is under contract through 2027 with an option until June 2029 following five years with Premier League side Manchester United. Inter Miami acquired his discovery priority from the Los Angeles Galaxy.
“While Inter Miami CF and the LA Galaxy have reached a settlement for the discovery priority to sign Casemiro, the terms will be released upon conclusion of the tampering investigation,” MLS said in a statement.
Casemiro just helped Brazil reach the round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, increasing his career totals to 91 caps and 10 goals with the national team. It was his third World Cup.
“What motivates me the most, and I think this is true for every player, is winning and continuing to grow. The project the club presented to me, along with the effort everyone made to bring me here, means a lot to me,” Casemiro said.
“I’m incredibly grateful, and I can’t wait to get started so I can repay that trust — not only during the 90 minutes on matchday, but every day in training as well. All I can say is thank you, and I’ll give everything I have to return the affection and confidence the club has shown me.”
Casemiro has recorded 73 goals and 61 assists in 663 club appearances with Brazil’s Sao Paulo, Spain’s Real Madrid, Portugal’s Porto and Manchester United. His 21 club trophies include five UEFA Champions League titles and three La Liga crowns with Real Madrid from 2013-22.
“Casemiro’s arrival reflects the vision and ambition that define Inter Miami,” said managing owner Jorge Mas. “We never settle. We’re always looking to grow, improve, and raise our standards every season. We’ve built a global club with the vision of becoming not only the best club in the United States, but also a benchmark globally.
“Casemiro embodies everything this club stands for: leadership, a winning mentality, and an extraordinary track record at the highest level of the game,” Mas added. “After achieving virtually everything there is to achieve in fútbol, his decision to join Inter Miami shows that he shares our ambition and our commitment to the highest standards as we continue building for the future. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the Inter Miami family.”
Casemiro now joins forces with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, his former rivals at FC Barcelona.
“I’m very proud to welcome Casemiro and his family to Inter Miami,” said co-owner David Beckham. “He is a person and a player that I have admired for a long time. He is a winner who has achieved so much in the game, and after such an incredible career with Real Madrid and Manchester United, I’m delighted that he’s decided to make Miami his next home.”
Defending MLS Cup champion Inter Miami (15-9-2, 31 points) are in second place in the Eastern Conference as they return from the World Cup break to host the Chicago Fire on Wednesday night.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: St. Louis City signing Carlo Holse on $6M transfer fee
Jul 16, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Sporting Kansas City forward Capita Capemba (7) is congratulated after scoring against St. Louis CITY SC in the first half at Energizer Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images Aiming to boost a struggling offense, St. Louis City are bringing in Danish attacker Carlo Holse for an approximate $6 million transfer fee, The Athletic reported Wednesday.
Holse, 27, will be a designated player when St. Louis City and Holse’s club, Samsunspor, finalize the deal.
Only five MLS clubs have scored fewer than St. Louis’ 19 goals, so Holse will be a welcome addition. St. Louis (5-6-4, 19 points) sits 10th in the Western Conference, just one point behind the Los Angeles Galaxy for the final playoff spot with 19 matches remaining. The clubs face off Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
Holse posted eight goals and four assists in the Turkish Super Lig last season and has scored at least eight goals per season with Samsunspor since 2023. In 10 appearances in the UEFA Conference League, he contributed two goals and five assists in the club’s run to the round of 16.
Holse, who has one cap for Denmark’s national team, can join fellow attacker Marcel Hartel in St. Louis’ dual No. 10 slots in head coach Yoann Damet’s 3-4-2-1 formation. Holse is capable of contributing as a scorer or goal creator, having posted 16 assists in one season for Norwegian side Rosenborg.
Over nine professional seasons in Denmark, Norway and Turkey, Holse has 42 goals and 36 assists in 242 matches.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Stefano Mazzoli accepts PGA Tour membership
Italy’s Stefano Mazzoli won the 2026 Puntacana Championship. Stefano Mazzoli officially accepted his PGA Tour membership on Wednesday, one day before he was set to compete in the 3M Open in Blaine, Minn.
Mazzoli was added to the field at TPC Twin Cities on Monday after winning the Corales Puntacana Championship in just his third start on the PGA Tour. The 29-year-old Italian drained a 24-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday to win by one stroke in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Since he was not a member of the PGA Tour at the time of his victory, he received a one-year exemption on the Tour. He also is eligible to compete in the 2027 Players Championship and 2027 PGA Championship.
A rookie on the DP World Tour, Mazzoli earned his promotion from the HotelPlanner Tour just last year.
“It’s been a rollercoaster, this past year,” Mazzoli said after his maiden PGA Tour victory.
South Africa’s Casey Jarvis also accepted Special Temporary Membership on the PGA Tour and is eligible for unlimited sponsor exemptions for the remainder of the season. Jarvis, 22, has two wins on the DP World Tour this season and reached the threshold for the Special Temporary Membership with his tie for sixth at The Open Championship.
–Field Level Media
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 23, 2026
MLS to investigate Inter Miami over Casemiro signing
